by Jim Hajny, Executive Director

July 25, 2023

The psychologist Carl Jung wrote, “…knowing your own darkness is the best method for dealing with the darknesses of other people.” Finding meaning in our lives, understanding who we are is an important component to the recovery journey. When we are not well, we don’t have the opportunity to get to know ourselves. We are consumed by our own darkness. Once we begin the journey of recovery the light begins to find its way in and we often begin to ask, who am I. What do I like? What do I want to do with my time, my life?  We may find we need to let go of friends we hung out with. We may find we have lots of extra time to fill but unsure how to fill it. This is where I encourage the idea of volunteerism. In the twelve-step community it is referred to as service work. The Cambridge Dictionary defines volunteerism as; "the practice of doing work for good causes, without being paid for it."

In most communities there are non-profits who are looking for individuals to volunteer their time for their mission. Nonprofits often don’t have enough funds to get all of the task or jobs done so they rely on volunteers. You can volunteer for as little as a few hours a week or for a few months at a time. Volunteering your time feels great, despite not being paid. It will also open a person up to new ideas, people, and places. It is an opportunity to give back to the community.

When I ran Peer Solutions Drop in Center in Livingston we would volunteer at the local soup kitchen preparing and serving meals. We also participated in the adopt a highway program where we did roadside cleanup each spring. I always felt good afterwards, my spirit was renewed, and I walked away knowing I had done something that was greater than myself, something positive that would have a ripple effect across the community. These are two examples of volunteerism. There are many more opportunities that can be found. Here are a few to consider around Montana:

Volunteer with Montana State Parks

Montana Master Naturalist Volunteer Service Opportunities

Planned Parenthood of Montana

Become a Befriender Volunteer

Volunteer on an Indian Reservation

Volunteer Missoula

Montana Food Bank Network

by Erin Faulkner, Family Peer Supporter

July 18, 2023

This month’s theme is Service Work/Volunteering.  As usual, I first jumped to Google for some research.  Why do people choose to volunteer?  Positive Force Consulting lists the following 12 reasons:

1. There is a personal tie to the cause.
2. Volunteering is a great way to build a resume.
3. It’s a good way to bridge the gap between yourself and others who may perceive you as “different."
4. Volunteering sets a good example for others.
5. Meeting like-minded, motivated, positive people is super easy.
6. Volunteering can offer unique and exciting opportunities.
7. “Doing good” is important.
8. Volunteering creates empowerment.
9. Volunteering has never been easier.
10. Volunteering can help you get or stay healthy.
11. Volunteering gives greater perspective and self-awareness.
12. Volunteering is good for you.

All of these reasons are personal, meaning the reason why comes from within.  It often seems that those who have struggled the most are the first to volunteer, to give back to the community, to help those who have similar struggles. 

I thought about writing my article for several weeks, worrying about how to write about something that I don’t have much experience in.  Then I started feeling guilty and bad about myself.  I know that is not the goal, for me or for anyone reading this.  So, I started thinking more about ways that I might have “given back” that wasn’t in a volunteer status. 

I graduated from college with a degree in Deaf Education and Elementary Education.  I spent 3 years working in that field before realizing that I wasn’t in the right place.  After 6 years in a variety of jobs, I found employment as a Family Support Specialist at my local Early Intervention agency where my daughter received services until she was 3 years old due to her genetic condition and risk for delays.  After a few years, I moved into working with children with autism.  Yes, I was being paid for this work, but I was also changing lives for the better – in a sense, I was giving back, serving people. 

Teaching our youngsters about serving others should be something parents teach their children.  I know that I work on that with the students I work with.  My husband recently befriended some new neighbors out here in the country.  They have helped us in so many ways without expecting anything in return, refusing, in fact.  They are teaching their children the importance of being a “good neighbor” and helping others.  They are truly role models, the parents and the children.

My role as a Family Peer Supporter started in that vein, as well.  I received a phone call asking if this is something I’d be interested in doing.  I already had a full-time job, but the idea of helping families who are going through struggles and who need support was something I wanted to do, not because I had to. 

Service work and volunteerism are ways that we can give back with our time and skills.  For some people, that may not be an option.  Another way to give back to the community is through financial giving.  Find a cause that speaks directly to you.  Oftentimes, this is an agency that directly helped you, your child or a family member.  It could also be a cause that you believe strongly in and want to support.  If we look at the word donation, we can say that we are donating time or money. 

Writing this article has inspired me, an empty nester, to look for ways that I can volunteer my time and skills in the community.  If you are interested in volunteering, one place to look is United Way, though there are many other opportunities out there for you.  Remember, that in addition to helping others, this should bring a positive change or addition to your life.

by  Beth Ayers, Family Peer Support Lead

July 4, 2023

I have always enjoyed volunteering and service work. In Girl Scouts, they were called service projects. I can remember doing clean up projects and singing at retirement homes. As kids, those of us in the neighborhood would pick up trash around a nearby church. I had a reading “grandma” in 5^th grade who I continued to visit for many years after. I also volunteered as a Candy Striper at the hospital delivering mail and flowers. As an adult I learned the importance of service work to my recovery, whether that was opening and closing a meeting, sponsoring others, or being the treasurer for a group. When our kids were little, we would volunteer as a family. Our favorite was volunteering with Family Promise, a local organization that provides housing to families through local churches. We would get to eat dinner with the families in the program and the kids would play afterwards. There were lots of things I loved about it: 1) My kids got to learn about homelessness in a way they could relate with, 2) They got to see that kids without homes or a lot of possessions were the same as them, and 3) It taught them to be grateful for what they had and share with others who have less. My son, in fact, at 4 years old held a free garage sale where everything was free for everyone. Any money that was donated he gave to Family Promise. This turned into a yearly family tradition which grew beyond our wildest dreams.

But I think where volunteering, service work, or helping others has made the biggest impact in my life is when our family was struggling with the affects of mental illness. As a parent, I put in countless hours and endless energy into getting services for our child. Not to mention the emotional toll it took on me. It is so hard to see my children sick or struggling or sad. And parenting was extremely difficult for me, partly because I didn’t feel confident in myself and my parenting, and partly because I was parenting children who had struggles and behaviors that I didn’t understand. But during that period of my life, helping others became so important. Now don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t volunteer lady of the year by any means. Most days I couldn’t even think about what to feed my family for dinner, let alone how to help someone else. But occasionally, an opportunity to serve came that I could participate in. And what I found was that helping others got me out of myself. It gave me a different perspective. It helped me see the good things in my life amidst the hard stuff. It caused me to be grateful for all the things that can get overshadowed by illness and conflict. Serving others connected me to people. Raising a child with a behavioral health challenge or any special healthcare need can be isolating and lonely. I found it hard to relate to other families with kids the same age. My world felt so different from theirs. Helping others reminded me of all the thoughtful acts of kindness others showed me and my family. Volunteering and service work brought me joy and gave me as much as I gave others, if not more. When I love others, I feel more loved. When I comfort another person, I feel comforted. When I support others, I feel more supported. And when I help others, I feel myself healing little by little.

For me, being a Family Peer Supporter does just that. It helps me heal. It gives me a purpose for the difficulties and hardships I’ve walked through. It allows me to show empathy to other families who are raising kids with behavioral health challenges and special healthcare needs. When I get to serve another person by walking beside them down a familiar, overwhelming, hard road, I feel less alone. By bringing hope into someone else’s situation, hope shines brighter in mine.