Why volunteering is an important life skill
When I was just living in another village a few years ago (when the children were still young), the children were going to kindergarten and I started volunteering at that time.
I had to do something when I was with my children and at home all the time or finish it when I was at home. At least I got the feeling I was doing something useful. Something I want my children to learn. Helping other people. Doing something in our society.
At the kindergarten of my children, I started writing the newsletter for parents about what’s going on in all the groups of the teachers there. And I was in the group for parents advising the teachers. In the beginning, I didn’t know what I was doing at all. I had no experience at all. But it was fun to do.
I also took pictures when events took place. At this time, I liked taking pictures. Since then I developed my photography skills. Since then I started doing more with my learned photography skills. I wish I could buy my second digital semi-professional camera (mine is not working anymore).
I wrote these newsletters for kindergarten and then I fell in love with writing. I also wrote stories as a child. I liked it back then, but I didn’t know writing was a skill I would love as a grown-up. My parents had too many books. So, there were lots of examples for me in writing. Only I didn’t read that many books, haha. Now there is an inner drive in me to catch this all up. Not to forget: the internet writing is here too. A good idea is subscribing to newsletters.
Participating in volunteering work
Besides writing, I also participated in boards from my local political organisations, volunteering at school of my daughters, presenting for the local radio and TV station (there is no budget for us to get a salary, but that’s fine), being an orchestra parent, organising the orchestra rehearsal weekend of my orchestra, and I can go on what I did to volunteer and participate in the local society (I won’t put my CV on here).
What I have learned
I can tell you that I truly love volunteering and being there for other people and society. Being busy to be there for one another. I learned also a lot in different kinds of skills while I was volunteering in the past.
Like how to write the secretary meeting notes and spreading them to the other members of the board, getting ready with your ideas and pitch them. That was very scary for me in the beginning, but I did it.
Also, I learned how to behave in meetings and react to other ideas, how we should do things and so on. When you are participating in meetings, you can talk to people properly.
With all these skills you develop a certain amount of abilities to run your life. I call it life skills. Skills you need in your life.
As I accompanied the children, I have the ability to know how to be with children. As an orchestra parent, I also learned how to write (better) newsletters and through the online platform MailChimp. Writing these newsletters through MailChimp was something I had to learn to work with. After all, I know now how to. See, that is a new skill I learned.
Learning to organize the concert is also important as an orchestra parent. A new skill learned. I am really happy I have learned these skills.
