Our Hero story: Sheila Laursen

The Hero of today’s episode is Sheila Laursen, a lifelong community organizer who established a community group that helps asylum seekers get a start on their lives in a new country. Following Sheila’s story, Professor Allison Russell - an expert on volunteering and civil society development - will discuss volunteering across the lifespan. Using Sheila’s story, she helps us understand what motivates both older and younger people to volunteer, what keeps them motivated, and how they benefit at different phases of life. Minutes 2:10 Sheila’s helping background 2:50 Sheila talks about the importance of caring and of being practical 4:10 The story of the first asylum seeking family and the growth of the initiative 5:55 How Sheila knows that what she does has meaning Our expert commentator: Allison Russell, Ph.D., 8:00 What motivates older adults to volunteer, volunteering as maintaining a life identity and an extension of work 12:00 Volunteering and caring for the whole person 13:00 Volunteering and making connections 14:00 The reciprocity of volunteering: benefits for the volunteer (mental, physical and social) and for the world 17:45 Young volunteers: rates of volunteering and time volunteered, motivations in young people 21:50 Emotional investment in volunteering, just being asked to help 23:00 Making a difference as the primary reason to continue volunteering 24:10 Recommending volunteering to students, to clients and to your children 25:30 Volunteer opportunities are everywhere 32:40 Informal volunteering and recognizing what you already do as volunteering 36:40 There is a volunteer opportunity to fit anyone Allison Russell, Ph.D. Public and Nonprofit Management Program, University of Texas Dallas https://profiles.utdallas.edu/allison.russell