If money were not an object, what would you like to do? Volunteer.
This thought actually occurred to me in early 2014, where I left a job that I realized I am not a good fit for in a search for a better start. To keep my mind away from feelings of uncertainty brought by unemployment I spent a good amount of time volunteering with various organizations around the city. And in late February, I was fortunate enough to find a precious gem of a job position that fits the bill, as a Volunteer Coordinator of a small nonprofit in the city.
You can easily tell that a big part of my life is about volunteering, mostly at work supporting and organizing activities for when other people volunteer, and then add the time when I do it myself outside my work hours too. The more I delve deeper, the more immersed I get, just like plunging head first into the ocean I have witnessed an entire new view of the world. This world with people suffering deep hurts and crisis, people healing and surviving from tragedies of all kinds, people and gestures that with sincere intention attempt to alleviate and help others, and the glimmer of optimism,patience and hope in the faces of everyone involved.
With this limited time that I have deeply immersed in this world, I have a few insights that I realize ring true.
Many, so many people actually are interested in helping out: With this it’s really important to find a role that fits the individual, an important responsibility for both volunteers and volunteer/ program organizers. When a social problem, a program or an organization strikes you in a way where you envision yourself being active in some capacity, never hesitate to explore it. One advice that is given to me is to develop a project then go search for a volunteer that can fulfill it, but I have done the opposite a few times. Volunteer roles have such a wide range of responsibilities, time commitments, tools and skills needed and finding the roles that fits for you for a specific time frame is valuable to everyone involved. And if that changes it’s ok, just don’t stop helping out.
Many, so many people are already helping out in a multitude of ways: It looks like it’s those
who currently volunteer are the ones to tend to ‘supervolunteer’. There are times at work when some volunteers I that I ask to come say they are unable to because of another volunteer commitment and they express their regrets. I’m thinking, another organization, people in need are benefiting from your time, expertise, positive attitude and desire to help so I say I appreciate the information but to not apologize. It looks like some people actually the variety of experiences, tasks and challenges that come with doing different roles with their volunteer commitments.
“No” is not bad, knowing boundaries and limits is important: This goes for both myself and the volunteers I have to ask repeatedly into helping us out. Having ‘me’ time is something I am learning to incorporate as it is a healthy, important thing to do. Knowing when you’re burnt out or need a break, or have other priorities, and communicating that is important to keep you balanced. I personally have to be conscious of that fact that I am an introvert, and that I need time to recharge or have some quiet and a slower pace at times. I am grateful that the volunteers I work with are comfortable with telling me ‘no’, ‘not today’ and ‘not any longer’ and all I really can do is wish them well in the next part of their journeys.
They want something out of it, but it ain’t a bad thing: Whether it is experience or a positive reference letter, recognition or simply a means to have something personal and intangible, volunteers aim to achieve something out of their volunteer experience. At one point I volunteered a lot so I can achieve a sense of personal accomplishment and usefulness while I was unemployed. Many of the volunteers I work with volunteer to do their part in contributing because it is good for their profession. Back in university I volunteered to gain experience and good reference letters. Volunteering, in my opinion, is a mutual exchange between the individual offering their time and skills and the recipients of such help from the volunteer. Clear communication from all parties and staying organized will guarantee that all are winners in this relationship.
Volunteering expands your perspective about life and people and become a better person because of it: I can give you a mile-long list of the things I learn about many subject areas thanks to meeting more people from volunteering and working with volunteers. From random things in conversation such as bringing an umbrella is a good safety measure, the variety of options for making gluten free bread, to discovering that many people are very fearful of the law and having to go to court, and the day-to-day experiences of volunteers when their family member was battling cancer. I have learned even more to be friendly and compassionate, to believe in the good of people and acknowledge that awful things happen to the best of us. That people of all ages have the need to be listened to and are capable of doing things they cannot imagine themselves doing. That I need to keep my cool and not be aggravated too much by whatever unpleasant thing happened while volunteering or the horrific thing that our client is experiencing but to focus on the things big and small that can contribute to making it better.
There are so many ways to help out: From providing professional expertise, mentoring, doing seemingly mundane tasks, financial support and sponsorship, all these and more are very important in keeping charities and nonprofits afloat and their programs running. These days I discover more and more tasks that need to be done but I don’t have the time or expertise for. I have a growing list of special projects that if finished sooner than if I had to do the whole thing myself, will help the current programs and routine activities in a great, long-term way. Luckily we have volunteers that apply and are willing to do various projects. I’m learning a unique and fast-paced type of project management, one that is sufficiently challenging and rewarding for a volunteer, not too tedious and accommodating of the limited time to volunteer. All these ways help out in a variety of ways, and it’s just as ever-changing as you wanted it to be, what matters is that you remember the next point…
The positive impact of what you contribute transcends years and in ways you don’t always immediately see: My training as a mentor through Big Brothers Big Sisters really emphasized this. Especially for children, there are big chances that the positive effects of the mentorship they received are not realized until the children are much older. It’s important to keep that in mind for us volunteers to not lose perspective and purpose of what we shared at this present moment. I think that in reality, most of the time we don’t – and we won’t – see all of the effects of what we do. With this I think it helps to think two ways – think in the present and think long term. With that client you helped to provide free services that they cannot afford, the glimmer of certainty and understanding in their eyes is the immediate effect of what you have done. That in turn will help them get the help they need and can make sure that their family members are more stable in their lives. The kid’s reactions when I work with them during that hour, hearing them saying “I wanted to do that when I grow up”, that is both an immediate reaction and a long-term one too, especially if that inspiration to aspire their dreams is further nurtured as they grow up. My few volunteering stints with causes for cancer, helping double count pledge submissions and donating my hair for wig-making, imagine the number of people who would benefit from the equipment or services from the donations or the next person who will be having a nice hairpiece? Every single act we do ripples beyond the first person you see, to their families and communities passing days and years.
Today marks my six months as a Volunteer Coordinator, and I am confident to say that the highlight of my job is when I stay at work late at night see our volunteers in action. Their passion, patience, teamwork mentality and positive attitude, even when things do not go as smoothly is something I feel grateful and inspired about, which fuels me to even improve our processes for the benefit of our clients and volunteers. Outside work, speaking to friends and peers I discover more about the simple acts of helping out without expecting anything in return, other than the feeling that you know you have done something good for someone else. Even viral videos and online articles of good deeds make me feel inspired, cheesy isn’t it? With all these acts: caring for rescued pets, sharing a few dollars, sharing time to tabulate donated dollars, participating in dialogues, teaching, manning a booth, and so much more, we give more than a helping hand. We give a part of ourselves that extends to people, places and time.
General Point of View 