Volunteer for Selfish Reasons

Posted by TeamCharlie on July 10, 2008 under Wags for Hope | Be the First to Comment

By now you are probably puzzled at the title of this post.  People who volunteer should be selfless, just like Mother Theresa, right?  Well maybe some of them are, but I am not one of them.  It has always been my feeling that most people would like something in return for their efforts.  If this post were to be sent off into space without anyone ver reading it, why would I write more?  Similarly, if I didn’t get anything back from volunteering, why would I do it?  I’m just not that nice of a person.  I volunteer because I get  SO MUCH back from it.  More on this in a bit.

In March of 2006 my dog Charlie started a group called Wags for Hope (based in Frederick, MD), an all volunteer group of animal teams that visit people in our communities.  We visit nursing homes,  assisted living facilities, hospice patients and the disabled.  We started with a handful of neighbors and have since blossomed into over 100 volunteer teams.  The response we get from our “clients” is what keeps us all coming back.  One gentleman I have been visiting for the past two years would always proclaim in his Dutch accent: “You made my day!!” just as we were leaving.  It was sheer joy to visit him.  Knowing that your dog has given so much pleasure to people strengthens the bond you share immeasurably.  This was a side effect I was not expecting, but found to be wonderful.  We always stress in our group that if a volunteer is not happy in a situation for whatever reason, they switch to another venue.  Wags for Hope is touching the lives of both volunteers and the recipients of our visits – it’s a win-win situation for everybody.