17: Volunteering

Life's most persistent and urgent question is: what are you doing for others?

Volunteering was something that I wanted to do early in the year for a number of reasons. Firstly, I had time to kill and secondly, if I enjoyed it, I wanted it to become a regular part of my routine. My parents put me in touch with a family friend who volunteered regularly at the Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda. My Dad and I picked a date - January 7th - and decided to book in.

If a person only eats at Sacred Heart each day they will have enough nutrients to sustain themselves. Sacred Heart provides breakfast and lunch for the homeless every day, 365 days a year.

During the breakfast shift I was on dishwashing duties and after lunch I was put on dessert service. I would have preferred it if the other volunteers were more social. I was washing dishes by myself during breakfast and at lunch the lady next to me wouldn't stop complaining about the clients. Next time, I'll bring a couple of friends.

In spite of the volunteers, the clients themselves were interesting. Some were dishevelled and others were well groomed. The head chef told me that Sacred Heart doesn't turn anyone away. She then went on to tell me that the well groomed clients use their disability pension to live in the area, but because the pension is so small they have to choose between food OR accommodation. Sacred Heart helps relieve the burden of this choice.

There were two clients in particular that stood out to me. The first was a man in his mid-40s who brought along his young daughter around 10 years old. This was upsetting to see and made me appreciate simple things I take for granted growing up like food and shelter. The second person was a lively old fellow, who yelled at me to cover my mouth when I yawned. He was friendly and seemed like a regular.

Places like Sacred Heart are essential institutions to help the most underprivileged demographic of society. Being a part of it, even for one day, was special.

I encourage anyone to take some time to volunteer at the Sacred Heart Mission and you can find out more here.