volunteer story

Experience, expression and enrichment were the words that rang in her mind as she tried to articulate the reasons for being there.

She was in the heart of San Francisco, in the second floor of a school building on golden gate avenue where others like her, were assembled to attend the orientation program conducted by the San Francisco school volunteers. The San Francisco school volunteers were a Government supported organization that helped select focus schools enlist the help of volunteers to tutor and mentor students.

Two reference letters, a TB test and a fingerprinting id would allow her access to connect to the education system in the US which was a country she had only stepped into.

She looked at the other volunteers assembled around her and wondered what their story was? Why were they here? What duration would they volunteer for, and how would they use this experience to improve their lives?

The ice breaker- the natural starting point of the orientation gave her many answers. Most of them had a compelling reason to be there, their profiles summed up to:

A woman who lost her job, and her son to city crime wanted to volunteer to overcome her grief.
Another woman who was on a dependent visa and wanted to continue teaching through volunteering as she had given up her career as a teacher back home in Australia.
An old retired professor who was one of the founding menbers of a school initiative in the 60s was returning to his first love and passion as he felt he would feel closer to his granddaughter's stepping into school.
Four others were interested in linguistic education and were teachers who wanted to work in special education and classes that offered English as a second language to the large and culturally diverse student populace
A student who had benefitted through his mentor from SF volunteers and wanted to continue the cycle
A person who had lost all motor control and still wanted to volunteer as he felt his life was testament to hope and would inspire students

And, finally, it was her story.

The other volunteers looked at her with surprise and some amount of curiosity. She had worn an attire they weren't familiar with, and had an accent which was sometimes hard to understand and follow. She had a ringing voice and a laughter that almost seemed impolite in a group of strangers, her easy smile seemed like it was too happy to be true.

She was an Indian from Bangalore who had volunteered all through her life- from being a child nurse with Missionaries of charity, to working with Janaagraha in their communications wing to finally teaching through the baala janaagraha program, she had worn diverse volunteering hats.

When the realisation dawned among the group that she may probably be one among the two experienced volunteers in a room of first time volunteers, they felt a sense of ease to interact with her, and ask her questions on her experiences. Some even inquired about travelling to India and getting certified in yoga. Subjects she wasn't an expert at, but that which reminded her of people back home.

The eyes that looked suspiciously at her seemed to look at her with warmth, kindness and understanding.

Her smile only grew wider as this sense of familiarity grew and the relative anonymity of their existences began to decrease.