What are you giving back?

Most of us are luckier than we let ourselves notice. A roof over our heads, food on the table, people we love, some health. The day to day gets in the way of seeing it, and so does the ego.

When you do see it, the next question arrives on its own. What are you giving back?

People tend to assume that a volunteer needs some special skill, or a lot of money to give away. Ask any charity what it needs most and the answer is time. For a lot of people over 50, the job has eased off and the house has gone quiet, and time is finally the thing there is more of.

Start with what you like

Everyone has thought "I wish I could help" at some point. Now is a good time to do something about it. Write down your interests and hobbies, then look for a place where they fit.

Hospitals and hospices are always looking for people. So are food banks, shelters, libraries and animal shelters. Community sports teams run on volunteer coaches and helpers. Then there are the big charities, Big Brothers Big Sisters, environmental groups and the programs your own town runs. And there is the friend who could use a hand this month. That counts too.

Other ways to give

Volunteering is the first thing most people think of, and it is a good one. There are other ways.

• Use what you already know. Do the books for a small charity, fix computers, cook for a soup kitchen, tutor a child whose family cannot pay for it, drive someone to their appointments or take an older neighbour for groceries. You probably have more useful skills than you think.
• Give money. If you have more money than time, a donation goes a long way for a charity in need. It counts as giving back.
• Turn a hobby to good. Runners can do a charity run. Bakers can bake for a sale. Gardeners can teach a simple class at a local residence. If you love to read, read aloud to someone who can no longer see the page.
• Open the door at work. If you have your own business, offer an internship or some job shadowing to a student, or to someone retraining who cannot afford the usual courses.
• Pass on your stuff. Some organizations collect old cell phones for people leaving domestic violence. Extra furniture can go to a family who needs it. The old computer in the storage room can be fixed up for someone else.
• Share your spirit. If you meditate, send some of that quiet toward people who need it. When you hear a siren or a bit of bad news, think a kind thought for whoever it is about. If someone has treated you badly, forgive them and wish them well.

None of these has to be big. Pick one and start this month.

From the archive. First written for my journal years ago, and rewritten for life after 50.