Reflections after a year as a volunteer in pandemic-hit Britain…

Sunday, April 11 marked one year of constant volunteering on my part. First, with the Council’s community hub, then with the Council and NHS’s Project Hope for medical staff, and finally, now, with vaccination clinics all around the area.

April 11 also marked an apparent change of mood among many of the people I deal with as a volunteer.

All along, in each of my three volunteer roles, I have found the people I served and the people I served alongside, overwhelmingly appreciative, kind and good natured. Everyone was willing to wait — if there had to be a wait for something — and everyone was understanding about glitches. In the throes of a global pandemic, people just seemed happy to see each other, and they smiled — with their eyes — above their masks. There was the occasional grumpy sort, of course, but mostly, the first year of the pandemic seemed to have brought forth an outpouring of graciousness. People seemed to be grateful for the snatched chance of human contact, care and consid…