A Calling to Help Others

Volunteer work boosted my communication skills and gave me confidence in social situations. It expanded my social and recovery network and was a turning point in my recovery journey. 

As someone who started volunteering in 2014 and now serves as the Volunteer Coordinator for C4R, I am proud to share my perspective on the value of volunteering. I became a Volunteer Coordinator because I saw how volunteering impacted my life and I wanted to offer that same opportunity to others who are seeking ways to turn around their life. I don’t see volunteering just as giving your free time for a cause you believe in; I see it as path of personal and professional development. I see it as path of becoming something bigger than self. One of my favorite quotes is:  

“Only life lived for others is worth living.”       Albert Einstein 

I agree with that. It does not matter in what way we are making a contribution – what matters is that are we contributing to a better society. 

Volunteering in early recovery has reinforced all that I have learned by leading me to an inner sense of purpose and fulfillment – a calling to help others. 

Volunteer work boosted my communication skills and gave me confidence in social situations. It expanded my social and recovery network and was a turning point in my recovery journey.  

What I enjoyed the most when I was volunteering was witnessing the impact I was making in community. It’s often said that “we rise by lifting others” and that speaks volumes to me. Through volunteering, I have learned that when we give a little, we receive so much more.  

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?”          MLK Jr. 

From the beginning of C4R, our motto has been “Give to Keep”. Our founders understood that we can keep our recovery only by helping others. For me, it means that I am empowered only by empowering others. I am strong and healthy only when my community is strong and healthy.  

To someone new in recovery I would say what Mahatma Gandhi once said: 

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”           Mahatma Gandhi  

Arza Demi
Volunteer Coordinator
Communities for Recovery