The Importance of Listening Skills

Darlene E., Bloomfield High School Chapter President, reflects on her realization of how important it is to be a good listener in order to make the seniors and other volunteers feel heard.

Serving the seniors of Job Haines in Bloomfield has been an honor these past four years. I have had the opportunity to get to know many of the residents personally and created bonds with many of them. One way I have gone above and beyond for these seniors is by allowing them to speak freely, whether that be conversing with them for as long as they need, talking about anything and everything, or sharing my life with them. The most important thing I’ve learned from all the visits I’ve been on and all the different seniors I’ve met, is that listening is such an integral part of communication. Listening to the residents, being present while they speak, and having meaningful conversations is going above and beyond for them, and they never fail to express how grateful they are for your company.

I have been actively volunteering with GlamourGals since my freshman year of high school, and coming in, I was an extremely shy person. I remember going to my first GG meeting, and the room was filled with many girls from different grades. It was incredibly intimidating at first, but the girls there were so welcoming and helpful, I couldn’t help but feel at ease. The girls who ran the club at the time that I was a freshman, especially Anna Haraka, encouraged and reassured me, while we were doing manicures at Job Haines that I was doing a good job at connecting with the residents. When she saw me struggling, she would be sure to come around and help me in any way she could. Due to this experience, I have always tried to do the same for all new volunteers in hopes that I can make them feel as welcome as Anna did for me.

GlamourGals is important to my community because it creates a comfortable environment for the teenagers at Bloomfield High School to learn, grow, and experience firsthand how different other people’s lives can be and enables them to look at the world in a more empathetic and positive light. Not only is GlamourGals important to my community because of the lessons and benefits it brings to the volunteers, it is also important because the seniors are able to experience companionship, which some of them may not have otherwise. Even if we only visit once a month, I can see how much of a difference it makes for them to have someone new to talk to, even if it’s only for an hour.