How beautiful is the heart of a volunteer.
It does not ask for anything, but gives freely. It does not seek attention, but simply gives for the benefit of someone else.
It does not track time as a “cost” of service, but rather counts each passing moment as a gift for someone in need.
Cheryl Foshee has been volunteering for five years through RSVP of Central Oklahoma. Her love and excitement shines through as she talks about volunteering.
I don’t even think about it. I do it because I love helping other people. If somebody needs help, I want to be the person who helps them.
One day she may be mentoring a child through Citizens Caring for Children, or the next day helping a young lady prepare for a job interview through Suited for Success, and yet another day giving an elderly, low-income senior a ride to a doctor’s office through the RSVP Provide-A-Ride program.
When asked, If it’s more blessed to give than to receive, what have you received from volunteering and giving for so many years? Her answer is as beautiful as her heart of service for others.
It has made me more humble. They teach me too, the kids and the people I help. They’ve made me a better person. I see how much need there is, and it makes me realize I don’t have much to complain about with my own needs and struggles.
For Cheryl, even the little moments that could seem insignificant to someone else bring so much value to what she does.
Like being a little more patient with a child. Investing extra time by being willing to drive a little further to help someone in need. Or even just sitting in a waiting area, usually for several hours at a time, waiting to give an elderly senior a ride home after their doctor’s visit.
I am not just sitting and waiting. It’s not empty time. It all matters when it’s to help someone else.
Our volunteers would never say this of themselves, but Cheryl, and so many others like her who volunteer through RSVP of Central Oklahoma, are true Heroes of Compassion.
We will never be able to measure the full impact of their service, and that’s probably okay with them. They aren’t counting time, or how much they do for someone else. They simply want to know they’ve helped someone who needed them.
Our volunteers’ dedication teaches us the true purpose of living: to serve and give to others who are in need.
This they do each and every day.