Welcome to the first We Are The World Blogfest #WATWB post for 2020!
This month our co-hosts are:
Sylvia Stein, and
Please hop on over and look at their posts and any others with #WATWB.
Coming off a conference and in the thick of funerals, I thought I’d not make it this month. But…. here we are!
I’m leaning on the good ole ABC Life News reporting.
Australian journalist Siobhan Hegarty has provided a story on young people and volunteering. Right on topic too, for a colleague and I were sharing, on our way back from our conference, how volunteers are truly magnanimous people in the face of adversity. We were thinking of our State Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS).
Hegarty’s story features a number of examples. Like Rebecca Cole who joined the SES at age 18.
During the recent bushfires in NSW, Rebecca went on food drops and volunteered at the Queanbeyan fire control centre, operating the radios overnight and logging information for firefighters.
She says being able to volunteer with the bushfire relief effort stopped her from feeling helpless in the wake of the natural disaster.
“It’s so important to be a part of something bigger than yourself.”
Picture accessed from ABC News life, 23 January 2020. Supplied by Rebecca Cole.
Another example includes WIRES (Wildlife Information, Rescue and Information Service).
Hegarty’s report reminds us that long term help matters too. Some agencies may not be able to take our help straight away but following up is a great idea.
She reminds us all that volunteering can help us feel like we are making difference.
According to Lucas Walsh, an education professor at Monash University, volunteering can lead to better mental health and social connectedness.
It may also help alleviate existential anxieties about the future.
“Getting involved in a meaningful activity will help improve your feeling about the challenges arising from droughts, fires and climate change”, he says.
You can see Hegarty’s full article here.
Follow #WATWB and check out some other posts too!
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Hi Simon – I agree volunteering really helps in many areas … and I’m sure the people of Australia are so grateful for all who’ve stood up and volunteered to help with the major challenges the fires are causing you all … excellent #WATWB … I’ll get mine up next week … cheers Hilary
Thanks Hilary. Yes, people seem grateful. They are especially grateful for the Rural Fire Service.
Volunteering really does make a difference in the lives of others. Great #WATWB post for January 2020. Thanks, Simon for all you do.
Volunteering certainly does make a difference Ashlynn. You may be pleased to know that the military are providing wonderful help with the support over the fires too.
Volunteering is an excellent way to help the community. It’s inspiring to see so many young people jumping into the fray. Thanks for sharing these shining examples!
That’s what I really loved, Debbie. That it is focusing on young people. With all the stereotyping going on about so-called “millennials”, this story features some examples of young people serving their community.
Great post, Simon. How inspiring to read about people who just give where giving is needed. And I liked what you said about the benefits of volunteering for the volunteer. That’s the way it should be, isn’t it? That good deeds are their own reward. Thanks for sharing this story; it gives me hope.
Good deeds do have their own reward, Lizbeth. Looking at some of the photos on people’s faces the sense of accomplishment and contribution is inscribed.
Thanks Simon great post! I remember seeing this lass on TV and thinking what a great idea. Also I much liked Siobhan Hegarty’s comment: “Getting involved in a meaningful activity will help improve your feeling abut the challenges arising from droughts, fires and climate change”.
I so hope that the Australian fires will soon be a (dreadful) thing of the past …
Did you see this on TV in SA, Susan? That’s fabulous. Siobhan Hegarty is doing some really good work on social and cultural journalism in our country. Her work has been a find for me. We appreciate your concern for us. Thank you. I really mean that.
Kudos to Rebecca and her parents for being a great example of volunteerism and courage. Being in the midst of the bush fires and the ability and willingness to perform CPR and help the injured comes from compassion, determination and a willingness to help others. It’s true that volunteering is good for self, no matter what duty is performed. I encourage everyone to find their niche and raise a hand.
Thanks for sharing this story, Simon, and participating in #WATWB.
Hear, hear, Mary! Well said. I’m so glad many are taking your advice and finding their niche, especially in upcoming generations. May we see many more.
I am so thankful for these volunteers and that you are holding them up here. We can all contribute in some way to help others, even if it’s sharing kind words of encouragement.
Those last words of yours matter too, JoAnna. Encouragement, and people like the journalists telling these stories all have a part to play.
Absolutely!
I agree, “volunteering can help us feel like we are making a difference.” Volunteering is a wonderful way to help the community. It is really picked up as a movement.
Thank you for supporting #WATWB
https://inderpreetuppal.com/sharing-a-smile-watwb/
I love supporting WATWB Inderpreet. That’s how I met people like you. Sharing these stories, be they volunteering or other themes, are so needed in our times.
Volunteering does make a difference! Thanks for sharing!
Indeed it does, Damyanti, as evidenced in your support of Project Why 🙂