Volunteer opportunities often times seek US out, not vice versa. You find yourself cleaning a highway with neighbors or painting playground equipment at your kids' school, sharing your expertise on this or that with scout groups or making phone calls for national organizations' fundraising events. These opportunities are great but may not be what you'd pick for yourself if you were to make a conscious choice about where to get involved.
Upon researching this topic, I was simply amazed at the vast amount of volunteer experiences available. In this month's Living Lightly, I would like to give all of us an opportunity to make a conscious choice about how we use our free time, for it is a rare commodity indeed. Visit these websites and see the global scope of opportunities that exist. A visit to these will open your eyes to endless possibilities, incredible experiences and lifelong memories.
Volunteering....
good for the spirit ~ good for the world
- VISIT THE AGENCY you are interested
in before committing yourself. Get a sense of the staff, clients, and overall
environment you will be working with and in.
- BE REALISTIC AND
CLEAR about the amount of time you can commit. It is easier to start small
and increase your commitment than to have to back out because your schedule is
overwhelming you.
- FIND OUT WHAT THE AGENCY'S PURPOSE IS and
how your role as a volunteer fits into that mission. Sometimes, what may seem
as an insignificant contribution to you makes all the difference to those people
or that program you are serving.
- ASK FOR A JOB DESCRIPTION
of your volunteer work. It helps you decide if the work is an appropriate "fit"
for you, and provides a set of standards or expectations when you do volunteer.
Nothing is worse than setting aside time to volunteer at an agency, only to arrive
and find there's nothing to do. A job description goes a long way towards alleviating
these blues.
- ASK ABOUT TRAINING and/or supervision. If an
agency is asking you to perform a task, will they provide the necessary back-up
for you to be successful?
- VOLUNTEERING SHOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY
for your personal and professional growth as well. Don't be reluctant to request
an evaluation of the work you perform, or a letter of recommendation, should you
decide to list your volunteer service as a future work reference.
- ENTHUSIASM
IS THE KEY. If you are not excited about a program, the chances are you are
not going to be thrilled with giving up time in your day to go there.
- GO
FOR IT! You get out of your volunteer work what you put into it. Volunteering
requires no special degree or prior experience. It's simply a willingness to want
to help. The rest will take care of itself.
These helpful hints were provided by the Volunteer Center of San Francisco (415) 982-8999
Seeing a need and lending a hand...
*Did you know that approximately 275 Americans will contract AIDS everyday. Look around, one in three-hundred 15 to 24 year olds have the HIV virus. It's the sixth leading cause of death among our age group. World AIDS Day
*About 3700 people will be terrorized by violent crime everyday, of which, 25 people will die by handgun fire. Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
*Many of these deaths are drug related ... There are fifty-one percent of high school students, and fifty-six percent of college students trying illegal drugs, who are not part of the solution, but are part of the problem... Think about that... Drug Use is Life Abuse
*This year, it's estimated that about 2900 teenagers per day will get pregnant. Yes, including thirteen year olds... Babies are having babies! National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
*There are more than eleven-hundred new cases of child abuse reported everyday. National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence
*Over 20 million Americans are functionally illiterate..Literacy Volunteers of America
*6.3 billion people depleting our earth's natural resources at an alarming rate. Natural Resource Conservation Service
*We pump 7 million pounds of poison into the air everyday which expands the ozone layer hole and increases the global warming rate, not to mention that our world's rivers and lakes are dying. DirectAction
*There are over 31 million poor Americans who will go without adequate shelter, food or health care every single day. Horizons Initiative
*And finally, not forgetting to mention that more and more countries are gaining access to nuclear, and other high technology weapon systems! International Peace Bureau
The above vital statistics for our world today brought to you by: Volunteer Smarter: An excellent resource for matching professional skills with professional needs.
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