By Sefeda Lazaj (YES 2019-2020, Albania, placed by Aspect in Broomfield, CO) 

Participating in the YES program doesn’t only involve living in the United States for a year. Because volunteering is a significant part of YES, participants learn about and experience volunteering during their exchange year and then take their experience back home to make a difference in their communities for years to come. Inspred by their experience volunteering during their exchange year, YES alumnae Sefeda Lazaj ’20 and Greisi Lipi ’22 wanted to feel closer to their community, show respect toward elders, and support those in need.

In collaboration with the Red Cross, the alumnae served hot meals to 60 senior citizens at the Red Cross event and heard the stories of those older and wiser while they ate together. Despite the age difference between the alumnae and those they served, Sefeda and Greisi described it as one of the most rewarding volunteering experiences they have had thus far.

The alumnae believe that recognizing the significant role of older adults in generating connections and encouraging continuous engagement is the key to creating and maintaining unified communities. According to Sefeda and Greisi, the senior citizens hope that more young people would be willing to listen to their stories and opinions.

“We learned to be mindful of others and their experiences, especially when they are older and wiser,” said Sefeda. The exchange of ideas at the event inspired them to think of creative and effective solutions that could be used for different issues in their communities after seeing things from different points of view.

By the end of the event, the alumnae reflected on the range of emotions that the stories they listened to evoked and by the seniors’ strong will to try and upkeep a positive mindset, despite having been through numerous hardships. They also felt that they had generated a special connection with the senior citizens and thanked them for being willing to share the life stories that had impacted them the most.

Despite the inevitability of growing old and of life taking each one of us on our own paths, what remains important is our ability to step off the train of time and pay attention to the things that really matter: respecting, loving, and being there for each other.

 Greisi Lipi (YES 2021-2022, Albania, placed by AFS in Washington, DC)