Mags, 71, from Levenshulme, volunteers with HumansMcr, Church of The Apostles and Rainbow Haven.
As a volunteer driver I deliver food parcels to those who need that extra bit of help. I started driving for HumansMCR in January this year, but as they are in the process of relocating, I soon got fed up sitting at home twiddling my thumbs (volunteering is so addictive!) so a couple of weeks ago I started doing food deliveries for Church of The Apostles and Rainbow Haven.
I applied through Volunteer Centre Manchester and I received an email with a link to enable me to introduce myself and to let them know when I was available and in what capacity. I initially wanted to volunteer to have a legal reason to be out and about during the pandemic which seemed a plus, but meeting new people and hopefully making a difference to their lives was something I really wanted to do. It’s so addictive I want to continue for as long as I'm able.
I've been fairly lucky inasmuch that through a lifetime of hard work I've been able to achieve my goal of a comfortable retirement, but a lot of people's lives fall far short of this and being able to help and make a difference means more to me than I have the words to describe. It’s keeping me fit and although I'm now in my 70's, I feel younger and fitter than I did a year ago. I also sleep more soundly and restfully and find myself waking each morning with a smile on my face.
I'm welcome everywhere I go, and seeing the look of relief and pleasure on people's faces when I make a delivery is priceless. I delivered a food parcel whilst a client's carer was with her, and the carer was so impressed by my cheerfulness and friendliness that she rang the charity to commend me. I got a text message telling me about the phone call and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face for days. I thought ‘this is what it’s all about, I CAN make a difference!’ The 'feel-good factor' was tremendous.
I would say to anyone thinking about volunteering to just give it a try, you have nothing to lose and so much to gain. It can be tiring at first, but if you're anything like me you'll find it so rewarding and fulfilling you'll look forward to the dawn of each new day with its opportunities to help.
What song best sums up your volunteering experience:
The Beatles - All You Need Is Love John Lennon - Imagine
