If you're wondering what exactly I do at the Beauty to Help Foundation, how I help, and how my client and I became friends. Read my personal story below. :)

Our entire lives are based on the quality of our relationships, both on the level of family, friends and partnerships. When our relationships are dysfunctional, we often seek grounding and fulfillment in something that gives us meaning, fun and brings us pleasure and joy.  Helping others makes us feel that we are useful in this world, and as the Dalai Lama said "The main purpose in this life is to help others", and I would like to affirm and underline this statement.

My story as a volunteer

I found out about the activities of the Beauty to Help Foundation in 2016 while I was still student at the university. As a twenty-three-year-old student at the time, I decided to get involved and help the elderly. I still vividly remember the feeling of excitement to be a part of this project. Perhaps it was also because I had lost all of my grandparents myself and internally felt the missing role model of an older woman in my family.

Once you have been contacted and have expressed an interest in helping and getting involved, the first step is to complete an initial interview, which will enable you to join the volunteer programme. Volunteers are guided by a volunteer coordinator who looks after the pairs (volunteer-senior relationship) and ensures the pairing and compatibility.  Honestly to say, I see this position as crucial and very important as it can influence who you see regularly and develop a relationship with.

I was extremely fortunate that my client and I had a click immediately.  Although there was a big age difference between us (about 60 years), I never felt that we didn't understand each other across generations, quite the opposite. Her general insight and wisdom always fascinated me and I felt a deep respect for her experience. Time spent together between volunteer and client can look very different and it all comes down to the communication and needs of both. My client preferred to spend time together actively, especially outside in the centre of events and entertainment (cafes, exhibitions, galleries, theatres, walks). These are the days I remember most fondly. Our favourite café was the Nona café at the National Theatre, where my grandmother loved the views. We would talk for hours and enjoy the view of the Academy of Sciences building.

Gradually, after about three years, the first major health problems, injuries, falls and hospital visits began to be heard. At this point, the role of a volunteer is irreplaceable and irreplaceable for a senior citizen. During these difficult times, our relationship deepened and we became friends with built trust. It was also during this time that I met my family who had lived overseas for many years. As my client herself said, "I can't imagine life without the view of Hradčany," which is the reason why she refused to leave Prague and preferred to live socially in her lovely metropolis.

The last few years have not been easy, Covid-19, the war, injuries and illnesses have taken their toll on the isolation of all seniors in general, as well as on the mental and physical health of my beloved client. Our time together has been limited to visits and bedside chats or walks to the nearby park around the nursing home. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever and my beloved grandmother left me/us after almost seven years of friendship. The bond between us was strong. She was a great friend, at times a mentor, a willow and an endless support to me. I dare say I brought her joy, optimism, news of young life and we often laughed together at the absurdities of everyday life. I miss her very much but need to understand that volunteering brings with it joy, great meaning, but also the pain of losing your client/grandmother/grandfather. I no longer have my client, but I will always see her as an important person in my life, a part of my family, and consider her my adoptive grandmother, whom I would never have had or known without the Beauty to Help Foundation. In that regard, I feel endless gratitude to the entire foundation and the importance of their passion and enthusiasm for helping others.