Innate need to help others

I was three years shy of a lady when my sister invited me to join the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, a Masonic youth service organization which teaches leadership training through community service. There, I was taught the value of charity and service through volunteer work within the organization for the benefit of the community. I didn’t see much of what we were doing at first. I thought giving a couple of kids toys and food that cost barely anything did not actually mean anything to them. I only realized how the little things we were doing were actually important when a teacher from one of our sponsored Day Care Centers came up to me, held my hand, half-crying, and a little shaky, to say thank you. She told me that she didn’t actually think people cared enough, if at all, to spend some time and exert effort to give these kids, whom she described as “lumalaki nang walang-wala (growing up with nothing),” a little something to be excited about. She said that we (volunteers and charity workers) were the only light of hope most of these kids could and would probably see in their lifetime. Now, if you weren’t pressured to keep serving and volunteering after a statement like that, then you probably need to get psychologically examined.

I thought I had to do what I had to do, just that bare minimum, nothing beyond it. But when you see feel the first warm touch of appreciation, when you hear your first shaky words of immense gratitude, when you see the first tears of joy or excitement from the people you serve, you get addicted to the feeling. Suddenly, the long hours of preparing for the tasks were worth it. Patiently dealing with the sometimes overly naughty children, or the few rude adults you have to explain things to just feel like a walk in the park. Telling an impatient 73 year-old grandma and six of her antsy grandchildren they’ll have to wait in line like everyone else in the medical mission might be hard, but when you see them leave the mission with more vitamins than they can carry, thinking to yourself, things just got a little better for them, and you were somehow helpful. Wow! You just get the best kind of adrenaline rush.

I used to sniffle at invitations to volunteer for I thought these were all just a couple of pretentious, self-absorbed people looking for a way to satisfy their need for attention and appreciation. Now, I think, whether it’s an innate need to help others or a mere need to show others that you, too, have an “innate need to help others,” volunteering is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to spread happiness. Anyone, everyone can volunteer, but only those with the heart for it will last. These are the ones who share the happiness with the people they help. It’s cheaper than shopping, which is cheaper than psychotherapy. Why don’t you give it a try?

Contributed by: Mary Grace G. Tobias, UP Diliman (BS Psychology)