GIVE WITH A GOOD HEART OR DON’T GIVE AT ALL

During my time in the UK, I was concerned about society and the changes that were happening all around me, causing stresses and strains on the family unit, and more particularly that of people who became suicidal or in need of help through circumstances beyond their control. It’s easy to volunteer, although do all people have the natural abilities it takes to be a good one ?

Training started for being a Samaritan and we were told to expect that out of twenty people attending the course only five would succeed. All were there with their own reasons for wanting to be volunteers. Weeding out which would actually be valuable as volunteers was a long and arduous affair, taking us through exercises to see how we responded.

Situations that we were put into were hypothetical ones, although ones that could happen in real life. Married women faced with talking to child abusers found that their own morality got in the way of giving valid help. Judgmental people don’t make good volunteers.

Facing a life or death situation, many responded by panic. It wasn’t that they were any less willing to help. On the contrary they cared too deeply, got too involved, and forgot the purpose of the role of Samaritan, i.e. To listen.

Volunteers are giving their own free time to help others, and the pattern became clearer of the type of people that failed to meet that all important criteria that it takes to be not only a volunteer, but a useful one, and by working as a team in our understanding of what is needed in the way of qualities, it became clear that there was a vast difference in every single one of us for being where we were.

The role of a Samaritan is to listen, never to judge, no matter how provoked you are by personal belief, and in many voluntary positions, the criteria that shows that the qualities needed to succeed in situations that are unusual and that need all the volunteers they can get are these:

1.A sense of wanting to be useful for the right motives. Those who want to be a volunteer for selfish reasons don’t last long because their heart and soul are not in it. Those that do succeed are those that believe in a cause enough to put their services forward for nothing, and this means not just financial reward, but recognition. Many applicants crave recognition, although the more honest approach of actually wanting to make a difference to a difficult situation is much more worthy.

2.People that cope well under stress, and that never lose sight of the cause are those that succeed. Not only does this matter in the Samaritans, but think of all the world disasters, the chaos and being surrounded with death. Those without the ability to press on regardless and to see that one life saved is what they are there for, and that no matter how dire the situation, people who keep hope alive and are able to spread that hope make wonderful volunteers.

3.Those that put others before themselves make great voluntary workers, although this really must be for the right motives. Whilst enthusiasm for the cause is a good motive, many run away from real situations and volunteer in an effort to escape their lives. This isn’t a good idea, since a less than whole person gives less in circumstances that require balance, reason and logical quick thinking.

As a trained Samaritan, I was able to mirror people’s thoughts without judgment. I saved some lives by being there. Others I could not save, though regardless of the sadness associated with the death of people around me, what I knew was that my commitment for the cause meant that I was there when they needed me, and that I can only give one hundred per cent of myself. Sometimes you face failure, though a volunteer should never lose sight of the hope that they can give those with no hope. True volunteers know how to get beyond disaster, how to help people through it, and give not only their heart and soul to the job. What they give the most is belief that somewhere along the line they can make a difference, even if that difference is only a small one.

Like grains of sand upon the shores of life, we can either be pulled along by the tide and drown, or we can volunteer to be strong, make a difference and help save those that are drowning.

You can do it with a good and generous heart and the right motivation.