Cant think of a better title than this..haha..more straightforward and to the point. Haha..Have been meaning to post this after attending NVAC pre-camp, but well..anyway, here I am posting la. :P

Was going through a component called Spirit of Compassion, where we role-played volunteers/clients and had different scenarios given to us. I was playing the volunteer in a few scenarios, eg. old grumpy man, depressed/confused teenage girl, prisoner about to be released into society and a 10-year-old MINDS girl.

I think there were so many instances that I did things that I should not have, and said things that I should not have, but ultimately, I was glad that it was only an enactment. So here I am sharing this with you, so that in the case that you find yourself in a similar scenario, do react with tact and care.

One of the most important lessons I learnt was to never make an empty promise. If you have promised the resident to bring something for them, they will remember. And if you forget, it does not mean that they forget too. Being in a home or elsewhere, volunteers are their only source of contact with the outside world, and they tend to ask you to buy things for them. Well, I will not stop you from buying stuff for them, it's your personal decision, but once you start, it's difficult to stop.

With regards to privacy issues, I think it's difficult to draw a line between being a mere volunteer or a friend. Some homes do have a policy of strict confidentiality (ie. not leaving personal contacts with the residents), and I do respect that. Just always remember that whatever you do, be discerning and judge for yourself ya? Haha..you are all adults/going to be anyway :P

If anyone else has other volunteering experiences/lessons to share, do comment pls. We can all learn from one another :)