It’s entirely a different feel altogether. Volunteering is a scary thing to do, and although it makes you feel good about yourself, you may have worries about committing yourself to help other people. No one ever wants to do a bad job when they volunteer their time, and you may be nervous about volunteering with a disabled person or persons for a variety of reasons. If you’ve never been around individuals with disabilities before you may feel uncomfortable at first because you don’t know how to respond to their personal problems or situation. But the truth is that it doesn’t have to be scary.
Over time you will learn how to handle any situation and you’ll learn to see that these people have the same fears, jokes, hopes, dreams, and frustrations as you do. You may also be fearful because the work you do with the disabled will impact their lives. But the fact is that your presence, even if you make a mistake, will help to make their lives much better simply because you cared enough to help.
What Can You Do to Help People With Disabilities?
If you’re interested in volunteering to help people with disabilities there are many different things that you can do. But it starts with knowing what organizations serve disabled individuals. You can do a search on the internet to find a local charitable organization in your area that services individuals with disabilities. Some of the most common volunteer jobs include reading to the blind, delivering food to those who cannot leave their homes, playing games with individuals in assisted living centres, and becoming a big brother or big sister to a child with disabilities that needs someone to spend time with them and help them lead a normal, fulfilling childhood.
There are also many other things that you can do to help individuals who have a disability. If you’re not comfortable with one on one contact you can do volunteer work for organizations that support these individuals. You can make phone calls, answer the phones, distribute mail, write letters, campaign, meet with your councilmen, and do other projects and activities that help to further the cause of these organizations and get more services and access for those who cannot do this for themselves.
Most importantly, when you’re reaching out to help individuals who have a disability, it is important for you to recognize that you are making a difference in someone’s life. You’re making a change for the better in your own life as well. Allow yourself to feel compassion and to grow and change while you’re helping others and you just might find your true calling is in helping those who need you the most.
