When I began serving as the Volunteer Program Manager at Zen Caregiving Project, my predecessor told me that the daily shift change meetings are the “beating heart” of the program. It was not clear what he meant by that, and when I pressed him on it, he assured me that I would know what he meant in time. He was generous and patient as I felt my way through my first couple of weeks, and wise enough not to use too many words of explanation. After three months, I am beginning to understand his meaning.
The volunteer caregivers in our program meet at the beginning and end of every volunteer shift in the locations where we serve. Shift change meetings begin with a ten to fifteen-minute meditation, initiating our time together in collective silence. Emerging from the quiet, we check in with each other and give each person the space to be completely heard. We hear what the incoming caregivers are bringing with them as they arrive. We hear what the outgoing caregivers experienced during their service, and learn what has changed since the last time we were together. The only feedback we offer one another as we listen is a bow at the end of each person’s offering, signifying gratitude for what was shared and that the floor is open to another volunteer.
I have the privilege of being present for most of the shift change meetings throughout the week. I witness the compassionate care that the members of the volunteer community extend to one another during these gatherings. By giving ourselves the opportunity to reflect together on such a deep and regular basis, the space between us shrinks. Engaging in this reciprocal practice prepares our hearts to be fully present in the places where we work. As we listen to each other fully, we sharpen our ability to skillfully listen to the residents, families, and staff we encounter.
To be a Zen Caregiving Project volunteer involves a constant renewal of intention to accompany our neighbors in the face of suffering and loss. We help one another meet the obligations of this renewal in our shift change meetings. As I listen to the volunteers when they share their own challenges and joys, I feel my heart open up and become willing to offer my own experiences into the space we create for each other several times a day.
I am still in the first season of my role as the Volunteer Program Manager, and I hope to maintain some of the awe and wonder I am experiencing as a beginner. I can already see how new volunteers show up to serve residents living with chronic and terminal illnesses. They begin to understand that the experience is not only about serving residents, but also about supporting and being supported by other volunteers within the community.
The volunteer shift change meetings provide a model of support that we replicate in our Mindful Caregiving Education programs. In the context of our courses and in regular Caregiver Support Circles, we provide an opportunity for family caregivers to find support and meaning by connecting with other caregivers. We have learned over the years that it is essential for caregivers to have opportunities to share their experiences.
The opportunity to gather, share stories, and learn from each other sustains the intention to keep coming back to caregiving week after week, day after day. The volunteer shift change meetings are more like a beating heart than I imagined, and nothing could have explained it to me better than sitting in silence and staying open to my fellow caregivers each day.
Joe Voss, Volunteer Program Manager