Sister Noriko Atami: Listening Course and Volunteers

“CITY NEWS” Interview with Sr. Noriko Atami Re Listening Course and Volunteers at SSJC Community

1. Listening is the art of communicating by listening attentively to the other person’s words with both ears and heart.

Listening is a form of communication in which one listens attentive to the other person’s story.

Before Corona Disaster, we used to visit elderly people’s facilities, hospitals, and private homes to listen to their stories. Currently, we provide online listening services.

In addition to online listening services, they also hold a listening volunteer café three times a month at a Fukushima City listening volunteer café.

The group has 70 members, ranging in age from their 50s to 92 years old. In addition to volunteer activities they also hold workshops and other events.

Sr. Atami says, “Listening is so deep that it can be called “the Way of Listening”.

I am studying it day by day,” said Atami.

2.　 Here is a volunteer’s story.

I was at a facility I visited once and saw a lonely-looking person curled up on his back.

When I talked to him, he told me about his illness, his work, his family and his life.

He said it was the first time for him to look back on his life and talk about it with someone else.

I realized that my life had meaning,” he said proudly.

I believe that volunteer listening is helping people regain the strength to live.

3. First, please attend a training course for listening volunteers. You will learn what listening is and practice listening.

Applications are accepted in March, and classes are held once a month from April to August.

The fee is free of charge.

Some of the students say, “It would have been helpful if I had known about it when I was raising my children. I want people of all ages to know about listening.

https://www.pref.fukushima.lg.jp/uploaded/attachment/546295.pdf