This April 10 – 16 is National Volunteer Week.
Individuals who choose careers in the non profit world of human services are a particularly hearty lot. They do more with much less and try harder because giving up isn’t an option. They lead, follow, direct and manage kindred spirits who join them in believing that what they do makes a difference, and those who benefit, deserve the chance it gives them.
Who takes care of those who tirelessly care for others? What does it take to maintain belief and passion? What is the cost of caring so much?
I spoke with two non-profit professionals who work to provide services to those in need. Here’s some of what they said:
“I give. That’s what I do. That’s who I am. I give time and energy to those who are in need because I believe they should have access to a better life than the one they are currently living.”
I asked, “When you give, you must have a source from which you draw energy. What is it?”
He said, “ For me, it’s something that comes from within. It’s an indefinable need to relate to others in a way that empowers them to be and do more. My reward comes when it works. I have to do it. Anything else, any other job or career, wouldn’t be right for me.”
As I listen, I’m overwhelmed by the emotional generosity of these dedicated souls, and exhausted by work that must take all that they have, all the time. I asked how they handle it.
She said, “I do get tired. I give so much at work that I often wish I had more left over for those who count on me most. My family supports my efforts yet I wonder if they’ll say, ‘let this time be about me. Give me something of what you give them’. I’m grateful that they understand just how important this work is.”
I asked who they turn to for emotional support?
He said, “To be honest, I don’t turn to anyone. I’m supposed to be the strong one. I listen to my friends and help them with their problems. I probably don’t let on that I need more from them then they are apt to provide me.”
Why don’t you tell them? If they knew they’d probably be there for you as well.
And he said, “I don’t want to appear needy. I can handle it. It’s what I do. I just don’t want to burn out.”
She came in when he faltered, saying, “It’s not their fault. It’s ours. We insist upon being everyone’s pillar of strength. We’re always ready to lend a helping hand. We do it to ourselves. We define ourselves by what we do and what we give. It’s our reason for being. And yes, we get tired and sometimes we want someone else to carry the load, just for a while. Then we get our second wind.”
How can someone give care to the caregiver?
He responded in a way that addressed the personal, as well as the professional challenge faced by many who give their time to the work of human services: “We need to hear more people say.’Tell me the job you need done and I’ll do it’. We need those who benefit from the generosity of others to repay that gift by giving others, less able than themselves, whatever they can afford. Sometimes the best thing is a strong back, an open mind and a giving heart.”
Volunteers and their managers step up, everyday, to enable those with less access, less opportunity, and less possibility, something more than they might otherwise have. It’s called hope.
