When I retired I decided there were three things I wanted to do
1. Volunteer
2. Re-learn my Irish
3 Take up art
I’m happy to say the only one I am still doing is volunteering!
Thankfully I have had a good life with all the ups and downs that life throws at one, so I decided it was time to give back. I started 10 years ago as a volunteer with Rathdown Carriage Driving for the disabled in Festina Lente in Bray.
This was a most rewarding role. Some cold wet winter mornings I thought do I have to go at 8am to collect the pony from the field and bring it to Festina Lente, by 12 noon the look of sheer joy on the faces of our participants was a joy and well-worth the early morning call. We dealt with post-polio, autism, and other participants. We were a very united team of volunteers and participants. Lots of fun and laughter during our coffee break. I am now treasurer of our group. I met some unbelievable people in our group, both volunteers and participants. People who inspired me with their total acceptance of their fate in life and dealt with life with gratitude and fortitude. This group gave me a totally different perspective on life. I am so glad to be part of this group.
Earlier this year I had more free time on my hands so I thought here goes, let’s try some more volunteering. I spoke to Yvonne Ryan of Wicklow Volunteering Centre. Yvonne guided me through some of the groups looking for volunteers. I tried different ones and some were not for me. I was looking for hands-on work, not every role suits everyone but believe me, there is a role there for everyone.
I joined the board of BCAT (Bray Community Addiction Team) as a board member and now I’m the company secretary. This volunteering role only calls for time and commitment.
I have also joined Bray Meals on Wheels Saturday chef volunteer. This is very much a hands-on role, cooking meals for 130 people and to a deadline! The team of volunteers is from all over the world and some young people who work all week and give their Saturday mornings freely. There is great camaraderie amongst the group and I would highly recommend this group to anybody who is lonely and needs company, those who are shy and need to meet other people, or those who just have free time, believe me, we all have free time. This team is headed by the unbelievable Eleanor who is 38 years volunteering with BMOW.
In conclusion, all I will say is, we all have free time, and we all have something to offer to the larger community – just do it!