‘What do you say?’ I ask my 2 year old after handing her a pack of raisins. ‘Fank you mama’ she diligently replies. We drum the art of manners into our children from a young age. But ‘thank you’ is just two words put together to indicate you appreciate the action or acknowledge something someone has done for you. Do we always say thank you when and how we should though? And sometimes we need to be careful when picking gifts or other gestures than words.
Next week is Volunteers Week. We may not realise but vital parts of our community rely on donations of time and work. And while there is no selfless good deed and volunteering brings many benefits to the volunteer, I still feel more recognition is needed. But a volunteer may not want to be thanked in a way you expect. In fact, some deliberately stay out of the limelight. The National Council for Voluntary Organisations has ideas on the best way to thank volunteers. On a personal level, a donation of money or goods or maybe just raising awareness of their cause could be a fitting tribute to their work. Or perhaps there’s something more specific the volunteer would appreciate.
I spent some time volunteering at our local Breastfeeding Drop-In at Hanover. It was my way of saying ‘thank you’ for the support given to me when I had my first baby. I will never forget walking through the door, being offered a cup of decaf coffee, a seat and someone to talk to. I sobbed. It such a simple environment in a local community centre, plastic chairs covered with cushions, footstools to help position better for feeding, a library stuffed with some of the most important titles around breastfeeding in the world today.
But I know the person who is truly the heroine of this service in Brighton, does not like too much fuss. I also know for a fact, she is also an inspiration to many mothers across the city. I have almost never come across someone who does not know her. She has passion, belief and drive. She has principles. These are qualities which not only inspired me to volunteer but take a lot of courage, energy and determination to maintain. And I believe we need more of this on our planet. We will find a way to thank her in a way she finds comfortable.
The best thanks ever is bumping into a mum you’ve supported with a thriving baby and they tell you, the help you gave helped them carry on. This is enough thanks but if you can find a personal way to thank a volunteer in your community, the gesture will be most appreciated, I assure you.
Would you like to say thank you to a volunteer in your life? Share your experiences with us either in the comments below, on Facebook, Twitter, raise awareness of the cause or simply to get more volunteers.
