When you’re first starting university, it can be really hard to find a work/life balance that works for you. Taking time for self-care is essential, be it taking a relaxing day off or getting out of town for a while, but many people aren’t sure how they can fit volunteering into their already jam-packed schedules. From my point of view, the best volunteer experiences are those that provide an element of self-fulfillment and fun. They are a “two birds with one stone” kind of experience, giving volunteers the opportunity to give back to others and to yourself. I found my “self-care” community involvement with the Cumberland S.M.I.L.E. and Shine Program. 

S.M.I.L.E. is a weekly gym and swim program that pairs student volunteers with youth ages 3-21 with special needs. You spend time cooking, playing games and doing crafts until you finally hit the pool and go for a swim! How fun is that? My amazing experience with S.M.I.L.E. has made this program one of the most exciting parts of my week. You have the opportunity to meet and get to know so many sweet people who are just as excited to see you every Saturday as you are to see them. As a part-time volunteer, I had the opportunity to be paired with 8-10 different buddies throughout the season, making it a lot easier to get to know as many people as I could. Many of the buddies already knew each other, so friend groups were very easily established. Plus, you get to make so many new friends from the university that also share the common interest of giving back! Even though I was only registered as a part-time volunteer and therefore did not have to commit to going every week, I made a real effort to get to the pool as much as I could because I love it so much! 

It’s such a fulfilling feeling knowing that you’re able to be such a crucial part of someone’s day. I’ve never felt so appreciated and loved doing volunteer work, which made it even better to know I had the chance to do it all over again the next week. Don’t get me wrong, there are some up and downs when working in the chaos of the Amherst YMCA on Saturday mornings, but the happiness that overcomes you when your buddy walks through the door is what makes it worthwhile. I will forever be grateful that Mount Allison is able to provide us with amazing opportunities like this. 

Photo: When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down S.M.I.L.E for the season, volunteers made a video to encourage our buddies that everything would be alright and that we missed them!