Changing Lives
By Theresa J. Lippert
Imagine a world in which you
have no one to look after you - no one who cares about your well-being,
your health, your interests, or your financial situation. Now imagine that
you meet someone-an LSS volunteer who is directly concerned about you and
who will work to make changes if they are needed.
Since last fall I have been a
volunteer with the LSS Guardian/Conservator program and it has been an
amazing experience. I visit LSS clients where they live or where they
work, talk to them and observe their situation. I ask questions and write
brief reports on each person I meet.
I have visited with numerous
LSS clients who may or may not even be aware of what LSS is doing for
them. The three populations served by this program-elderly persons,
persons with developmental disabilities and persons with mental
illness-are those who most need a helping hand. I have found that by being
open to meeting lots of different personalities and by being a good
listener, I can make a direct difference.
Many of the people I have
visited are doing well. I have been heartened by the patience and
cheerfulness of the hard-working staff persons who deal with LSS clients
in nursing homes, group homes and residential facilities. And it is
wonderful to see that so many people with developmental disabilities or
mental illness who once would have been in large institutions are living
full lives in their communities instead.
As an LSS volunteer, I can be
one more pair of eyes and ears to look for problems and listen to
concerns. I am able to report back to the program supervisor and director
and to see that these concerns are addressed. I know that the work I am
doing is making a significant impact on the lives of particularly
vulnerable people.
The program can use more
volunteers. You don't need any particular expertise to be a
guardian/conservator volunteer, just have common sense, the ability to be
a careful observer and strong listening skills. You have to be
adventurous, too, because you will encounter so many different people in
so many varied situations. If you are willing to give of yourself and your
time, you will be richly rewarded because you will be able to see the
difference you are making in the lives of people who are otherwise
voiceless.
