ABSTRACT
Volunteers organized sporting events and festivals that children would remember
into adulthood. They provided children and their “newcomer” parents with a
sense of belonging to the local community. Women in the PTA organized
excursions for mothers and children, published school yearbooks, and worked
behind the scenes to make school life memorable. Volunteers working in
caregiving institutions told jokes, gave haircuts, and worked hard to evoke smiles
from people who rarely smiled. Home services offered by volunteers allowed
some middle-class, disabled elderly to continue to live in their own homes rather
than in institutions or with family members, giving them comfort and pride in
their ability to remain self-reliant. Volunteers working for local social welfare
groups organized gateball tournaments, karaoke contests, and lunch parties for
elderly people without which life would have been less interesting and rich.
