volunteering

I met 7-year-old Maggie on the warm sands of Doheny State Beach in California’s Orange County. She arrived with her lovely family and upon our introduction, she hid her face behind her mom for a very long time. This tiny, beautiful, shy and frightened little girl did not look happy to be there. Despite a long struggle of pleading from her family and big warm smiles from me, she was not having any part of this Best Day Foundation playdate at the beach. Her amazingly encouraging big brother, Sam, who was probably 12 at the time, was the one who was finally able to convince her that everything would be all right and that she was going to have a very fun day.

The Best Day Foundation is one of my most favorite charities. Through the volunteer efforts of surfers and others, this organization enables children and young adults with special needs to build confidence and self-esteem through adventure activities, like surfing, that stretch their mental, emotional and physical limits. For Maggie, I was beginning to fear that this day had the potential of stretching her limits to the breaking point, whether or not she ever actually engaged.

Upon her brother’s optimistic urging, her family backed away and sweet Maggie ever-so-tentatively looked up at me and put her little hand gently in mine and we were off to join the enthusiastic, mostly retired, surfers who were totally stoked to catch a wave with these kids of all abilities.

If holding my hand was a big deal for Maggie, being transferred over to a big surfer dude had to be off-the-charts scary. But she bravely put her trust and her safety once again in the hands of another smiling stranger. Together, we got used to the water and acquainted with the surfboard and splashed with the waves. And, when the surfer felt it was time to give it a go, Maggie looked back at me and I gave her the biggest, most confident thumbs up and the widest, most encouraging smile and a nod that communicated: This is going to be the most fun you have ever had in your whole life – you got this!

As I watched her sit on the board and allow the surfer to push them through the breakers, I thought, “This is a miracle that we got her this far.”

And then, he was paddling hard toward shore. Maggie was smiling. She was having a blast. Her long golden curls were dancing in the breeze. Her eyes were huge as she felt the lift of the wave. And in that moment, I’m pretty sure I could hear angels sing as the two of them were riding along in harmony with the unstoppable force of the ocean.

Surfers and kids were having this same kind of wild playful experience up and down the shore. I might have been holding my breath for Maggie because I could now feel myself exhale. And that’s when the board tipped. It was a wipeout. Maggie was dunked into the churning white-water breakers. “Nooooo!!!!!” I thought, with my hands on my forehead. “This cannot be happening.”

The capable surfer fished her out and she looked horrified. In the meantime, Sam came whipping out of nowhere, racing to her side and yelling back at me, “It’s ok, you did a good job!”

The surfer held her up high out of the water and congratulated her repeatedly for her HUGE accomplishment. And everybody around us cheered. Maggie blinked her long, water-soaked eyelashes a few times and her mouth dropped open when she realized the cheering that was out-roaring the ocean was for her. It’s like she had crossed over some rite of passage and had survived the ritual. All at once, the exhilaration she experienced, the pride she felt and the growth she had undergone were palpable. People were cheering and shouting her name. I don’t know if she’d ever had that kind of moment before. But on that sunny day in Southern California, she was a surfing rock star!

And that’s why I love the Best Day Foundation.

The next summer, I came back with my youngest son, Logan, and my neighbor, Wendylynn. We all were assigned to our young buddies and there it was, that rush of joy all over again, only tripled because there were three of us and three new friends. We talked about our Best Day experience making somebody else’s best day all the way home on the long drive across California and back to Arizona.

There are many reasons why people volunteer. Here are three:

1. Volunteering is good for your health. Global Vision International (GVI) says studies show that helping others takes our minds off of our own problems. The GVI website states, “Your stress levels start to decrease, your immune system is strengthened and your overall sense of life satisfaction increases.” A friend of mine reported that she pulled herself out of depression by exiting her house and volunteering at a mental health facility where she listened to others who were suffering. She says that was the moment her healing began.
2. Volunteering is an opportunity to give to a cause you believe in or support something you have a passion for. For vacationing families missing their pets, or hikers just looking for a pal to join them on an outdoor adventure, the Kauai Humane Society has a kennel full of companionship eager to play at the beach, trek through the jungle or hang out under a palm tree through the shelter’s Field Trip program. Late morning every day except Sunday, shelter dogs – from boxers to beagles – leap to attention at the possibility of a walk in the park or a lifetime of love. “They know it’s Field Trip time,” said Elizabeth Claxton, a senior director at the shelter, as she smiled at a lively aisle of pure tail-wagging joy and anticipation. This program is vital to the mental and physical health of the dogs, she said. But humans as well – some, like the Hopkins family – can find their new forever best friend and family member. “Once Dorothy [the big tan loveable mix] got into the back seat, she immediately cuddled with our youngest son and fell fast asleep,” said mom, Emma. That was it. Dorothy was instantly and permanently part of the family and had a ticket for the flight to her new Concord, California home.
3. Volunteering builds skills and can boost your career. Volunteers come with a wide variety of talents. And it’s likely you’ll learn some skills that you can list later on your résumé. It also can be a great networking opportunity. Relationships happen while you’re lending a sympathetic ear, playing on a beach or walking a dog.

Volunteering is good for us, fun for us and can even boost our careers. But what it all comes down to is the moment in which we realize we’ve changed someone’s life – often, our own. For me, Maggie’s wide-eyed exuberance is forever imprinted on my heart. For the Hopkins family, Dorothy’s big heart beats alongside those of their other three dogs as they all snuggle together, just like it was meant to be. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.