Thinking about Volunteering?Four Questions You Should Ask Yourself
GordonMiller
Posted: Jan 24, 07 1:20pm No single person can solve the world's problems, but in my experience, volunteering for a cause that's important to you can sure can make a difference—for everyone involved. Statistics show that over 100 million American adults volunteer annually, each of us contributing three-to-four hours per week (that's roughly one-third of the population). I suppose we each have our own reasons to volunteer. The ones I most commonly hear include:
Regardless of your reason, here are some thoughts on deciding which group or cause you may want to consider volunteering with: 1. Start by looking for a group or cause that you are passionate about 2. Think of the skills you offer 3. Don't over-extend yourself 4. Virtual volunteering? Don't know what your choices are?One of the best sources I have found is Volunteer Match (www.volunteermatch.org). It provides a search engine to help you find the right gig for you, based on the criteria you provide (they list numerous areas of interest to select) and match you with known volunteer groups in or near your place of residence. To see one TeeBeeDee member's voluntourism experience in New Orleans, click here. What are some of your favorite volunteering experiences? Have Something to Say? | ADVERTISEMENT  |
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Posted: Jan 24, 07 2:01pm
I was a newly divorced real estate agent looking for something rewarding to do with my time and talents. A friend suggested the volunteer training for San Francisco Sex Informnation, a free phone-in hot line. I loved it. My young daughter's teen friends loved knowing that a mom was available anonymously.
It was the first step in a career change for me and the source of my first book. A fictionalized account of my training experiences, the volunteers and the callers, can be found in "Sex Information, May I Help You"? (originally published by Down there Press as "Aural Sex & Verbal Intercourse".)
Posted: Jan 31, 07 8:33pm
what a great story Isadora. I love your openness to a new path.
Posted: Feb 3, 07 12:19am
I have volunteered at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford ever since I was a teenager..In some cases you can be as young as 14 years old to volunteer. I was 16 when I first started volunteering. I have volunteered as a "reader" to read story books to patients while they are undergoing treatments. It is a pleasant distraction for a young child who is undergoing chemo which is very scary for a child.
I have also worked during the holidays at the shopping center at the "Christmas Gift Tree" People can pick a child's "gift wish" tag off the tree and then purchase and wrap the gift to be given to the needy child who requested the gift.
It is a wonderful program. Just the thought of a child receiving a gift, and putting a smile on their face, it warms your heart to be a part of this process.
Posted: May 29, 07 12:05pm
Gordon,
What sound and thoughtful pointers you offer. I am presently casting about for a good volunteer fit and found your experience and insights very useful. As a lifelong bite-off-more-than-I-can-chew type I was especially grateful for the caution against overcommitting.
Kat
Posted: Jun 27, 07 10:00pm
If you'd like to "sample" various volunteer events and are interested getting to know some of the other volunteers, check out, One Brick
http://www.onebrick.org/
Posted: Dec 30, 07 8:27am
Volunteering is a great way to figure out what you want to do (and not do) next in life. Some I didn't enjoy..believed in the cause, didn't like the event. Co-chaired large gala auctions for the American Heart Association and zoo....eye opening. Helped with an aerobics program at the women's prison (interesting). I'm going to volunteer at the YMCA next, teaching some classes and see where that takes me. I want to learn the Zumba Gold program which is for the active older adults and the deconditioned exerciser. Hopefully take the workshop for that class in the next few months.
And I'm still waiting for my materials for the ACE certified personal training program. Once I make a decision, Fed Ex can't get here fast enough. Not going to do that for profit, I think it will fit into my volunteer work nicely though.