Break up the Routine, Volunteer

We all like to step out of our routine from time to time. Yes, even travelers, especially those who travel fulltime can still manage to get into a rut. Volunteering is a great way to shake things up and gain a new perspective. When we volunteer we all know that others benefit, but there are great personal benefits as well, such as:

• learning a new skill
• connecting with the local community in a meaningful way
• learning about people and what they do
• that joyous feeling you get inside

But when you travel as much as we do it’s not always easy to find volunteering opportunities. Luckily, I have found a couple of sites that help connect volunteers with non-profits. One is Volunteer Match.

Our Experience with CPNJ

I did a search in New Jersey and found a project that promised to be a great fit for us. Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey (CPNJ) was initiating a project called “Brush with Greatness”. This spoke to our artistic side and gave us the opportunity to do something a bit out of the ordinary.

Arriving the day before for a brief orientation, we met the project leader Corry DeMarco and got a tour of the facility. We also met some of the consumers (as they referred to the clientele of the center) and got to see some of the classes they were participating in.

We also discovered that parking was a potential problem for any size vehicle in Irvington. There was an auto supply place next door with a large lot so we parked our RV there and did some shopping. But when we stopped by after our meeting to ask if we might park there for a couple of hours the next day they told us “no” even though we told them we were volunteering next door.

When we returned the next morning for our actual volunteering session (Sept. 9th), we were lucky enough to score a meter-free parking place on a side street that looked safe and was just big enough to fit the RV and trailer. Some things are just meant to be.

We spent the first half-hour meeting with the staff and the other volunteers and going over the project outline. The focus of today’s art project was Andy Warhol’s painting of The Beatles. The staff had taken pictures of the consumers and made several black and white copies of each photo. Our job was to help the consumers paint photos of themselves creatively and mount them on a posterboard.

Then it was time to enter the art room and meet our partners. We each had two people to assist, which seemed a little daunting at first. But there were plenty of staff people on hand to assist us and them as well. Before our leader explained the art project to everyone in the room, we got to know our partners a bit. We introduced ourselves and showed them their pictures, which they were delighted to see. Songs by The Beatles played in the background as we helped them mix the paint and find the colors they wanted to use. Sometimes we had to help them with wielding the brushes or with making artistic decisions. They were thrilled to have us there and the art project gave us all a common ground, so if things got awkward we could always come back to the task at hand. We shared in the artists’ joy as they created works of art, but more importantly we laughed with them and learned from them.

It was intriguing and rewarding to step into these people’s lives and out of our day-to-day routine.

About Cerebral Palsy and CPNJ

Cerebral Palsy is condition that can involve brain and nervous system functions such as movement, learning, hearing, seeing, and thinking.  It is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement.  More about Cerebral Palsy from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Cerebral Palsy of North Jersey is dedicated to working with children and adults to foster independence, personal growth and involvement in the community.

Your Turn

CPNJ “Brush with Greatness” program is held on Wednesdays at their three adult training center locations in East Orange, Irvington and Wayne. Volunteers are needed. Contact Corry DeMarco if you are interested in helping out. Art supplies, such as paints and easy to handle brushes would also be appreciated. You can donate directly to CPNJ or drop a few $ in our PayPal account by November 7^th, 2010 and we’ll see that they get what they need.

Be sure to check out Volunteer Match  to see what opportunities are available in your community (or whatever location that you are traveling to). And let us know about any experiences you have had volunteering in the comments!