i used to take my dog to visit people in hospital and sharing him was worthwhile. i’d like to do something again. anything. well, not anything. something actually useful. not just to suck my own, you know? but i am nervous about disappointing people. i’ve mostly been in and out of the hospital again for the past several years, but i’m doing a lot better. i think.
i’m somewhat hesitant to pursue because unsure that my application would be accepted again and if it were that i’d not be able to keep up or that i’d disappoint. i just feel like i can’t sit in day programme for the rest of my life contributing nothing positive or worthwhile to the world. i don’t really find it much of anything anymore and existence is insufficient.
does anyone else volunteer? if so, what do you do?
EDIT: i should note, i do still have symptoms, but they’re as controlled as they can be by meds and i think i keep it together decently well enough provided there’s not other things going on to distress me. i mean, i can ignore most of the voices and such. but so i maybe would do better in a less public environment.
I used to volunteer as a groundskeeper at a summer camp for developmentally disabled people…this led to employment but then fell apart when my mentor and boss moved away.
I volunteered at an educational farm feeding and turning out animals once a week
And I volunteered at a therapeutic riding center taking care of the horses.
oh, i don’t want to mislead. i haven’t done anything in years, so i’m just trying to think of something. i’ve done nothing but sit in my house or in day programme or the hospital for a really long time.
it’s all speculation at this point anyway. maybe just a dream, but i want a lot of things and today i feel like i could try. hopefully that will remain, but all is uncertain in life.
Is there a type of work you always wished to do or a recent idea? For me I haven’t had many I’ve been trying to cope day to day. I must admit that I could be a lot far ahead, the biggest thing I have to do is rake around the farmhouse. I went to a much bigger environment and I’m trying to handle this new environment still…I’m developing a good plan with my gf though. I used to volunteer at a church soup kitchen in HS and once in awhile afterwards for holiday turkeys and what not. We had fun and I think I was actually sober doing it lol.
nothing specific comes to mind, no. i wish i could offer something useful. i just don’t know what that would be necessarily. like, doing the therapy work with my dog, he’s awesome and people hug him and feel better and they are away from home or their pets, so i could share him.
i like to garden. i know some things about how to go about it. i don’t know that i’d be good at teaching others though. the soup kitchen, that’s an idea. i just am not always good with other people in person. i know that sounds bad, but i just mean maybe i could make the food but not serve the food. i don’t know.
that does sound like it could be fun though…even sober. : )
I have in the past. Great way to fill the gaps on your work history due to illness. Employers love people who volunteer or who have done so in the past as shows their responsible members of the community. So many advantages to doing it as builds up self esteem, Helps feel part of the community and helps to get back into the community.
When I was homeless I volunteered for at the food bank bagging groceries and stacking food and re-stocking shelves and cleaning. It gave me a chance to be inside during the cold winter months, and I got a bag groceries every week I worked there.
Then I got worse with no meds and no help so I ended up not able to even do that much. Soon after I was taken into hospital.
I’ve been very grateful to the Unitarians who helped me as long as they could.
I drove a field trip to a provincial park this past week for about 40 grade six students. The school can do more for the kids if they don’t have to pay a bus driver to take them somewhere. I also do a lot of volunteer photography at school events and share the images with the school, parents, and local paper. Finally, I’m a project leader for several 4-H projects this year.
I used to volunteer as a dog walker at an animal shelter. I don’t remember why I stopped, I enjoyed doing it.
Now I get involved with programs that do volunteer work through my college. Next Saturday I’m supposed to go to a church in a bad neighborhood and help them sort through their food and clothing donations. Busiest outreach program on the island…they help 5000 families a year. Also, later this month I will be volunteering selling snacks and stuff at a haunted house that raises money for a camp for those with disabilities.
I volunteer around the office of a local mental health charity. It is quite relaxed. Volunteering is good as long as you don’t take too much on at first and go at your own pace. Anything that stresses you out isn’t worth doing.
i do a few hours on a friday at a community cafe which is run by the church and its members, i work in the kitchen just serving and making soup or tea/coffee etc, i like it but i sometimes get really bad anxiety and need to take breathers idk why i get anxiety doing something i want to do but the cafe is the cheapest in the area.
I used to volunteer at the local drop-in center. I was involved with their computer system and helping them with tech support. I don’t do it anymore, it was a pain getting there and honestly tech support isn’t my bag. I have little tolerance for people who can’t do a Google search to solve their problems and even less for people who need to be competent with a computer for their job but aren’t.
I also worked for a while here as a volunteer moderator. I resigned when posting and moderating came into conflict. I’d rather be a poster.
i’m putting in two applications by the end of this week. that’s my goal at least. there’s a person at day programme who’s offered to read them over and give me suggestions. i hope i’m willing to take them. i bristled a bit at the idea, but i know it’s helpful and i need to keep some of my ■■■■ to myself, i’m sure. apparently this is a good time to show interest because it’s prior to the holiday season when a lot of people get inspired or whatever.
trying to maintain being positive is not the easiest. but i’m trying.
idk why i get anxiety doing something i want to do but the cafe is the cheapest in the area.