Do You Volunteer?
Put your efforts into organizations and activities you care about.
Volunteers make up a significant portion of the labor behind a huge number of organizations. The people that care about those organizations want to see their continued success. Some times they need help in financial ways like fund drives, and other times they need people to help make things happen. And in return, you might find yourself both happier and healthier!
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Its good for you!
The National Conference on Volunteering and Service lists benefits for those who volunteer. The benefits revolve around having a better social support network, a greater sense of well-being, close interpersonal relationships, and a stronger sense of identity.
Those factors contribute to a stronger mind and body – and the ability to get and stay well.
My grandmother is an amazing woman. About 8 years ago, I was driving her back home after a family event and we got to talking. She said she was disappointed that her senior center had cut back her activities some – she was now only serving lunch a couple days a week. A few years after this she complained that her sons refused to fix her lawnmower, and instead of mowing her own lawn she’d have to wait for one of them to come over and mow it for her. A vibrant and energetic woman of 95 at the time, she’ll tell you that her secret to feeling young and vital is staying busy and volunteering.
How do you get involved?
Some times you join a new activity and participate for a while without volunteering. That’s normal and expected. If you hang around long enough, the organizers will likely inquire if you are interested in helping out. When groups put on events, the need for volunteers grows – this is a great opportunity. Individuals can try something out for a shorter commitment (help with the carnival on May 22nd), and volunteer leaders can see how individuals work with the group (Fred did well with the snack stand, let’s ask if he’d like to organize the concessions next year).
Experience, Time, and Desire
Some organizations need specific experience. SCORE (www.score.org) provides free advice to small businesses, and uses a cadre of business professionals – some retired, some working, that want to give back, to provide assistance to America’s entrepreneurs.
But not all volunteer positions require a particular expertise or skill. Many organizations need volunteer “doers”. It doesn’t take much experience to be able to collect tickets, staff a “bean bag toss” booth, or get dropped in to a dunking tank, but without enough people to fill these positions, the event won’t run quite so well.
Where and when do you volunteer?
In reality volunteering is a prioritization, and a giving back. If you belong to an organization that you enjoy, you should find ways to give back to that organization – volunteering is one of them. Let’s suppose for a moment that you have children in grade school. Do you like to participate in some of the extra activities that the happen during the year? Perhaps there is an ice cream social, or a book fair, or a carnival at the end of the year. Volunteering to help shows you care about these events and want to ensure that they keep happening.
Some people volunteer for essential services that you hope never to need – services like firefighting, ambulance corps, and the Red Cross. You don’t want to have a need to call on them, but you’re sure glad to have them there if you do need them.
Volunteering for leadership positions provides a learning experience, one that you may not otherwise find. You might not have the chance to organize finances in your day job, but the “save our playground” fundraiser could have a $35,000 goal with 300 individuals participating – and that’s a lot of organization!
It isn’t possible to volunteer for everything, but you should think about volunteering for some things.
Volunteering gives you something to talk about
Volunteers are generally a happy bunch who get a whole lot out of volunteering. You might find that it’s a good crowd to hang out with. Plus it gives you more stories to tell at parties. :)
This last part about having things to talk about isn’t just an attempt to make light of the topic – this is part of the connection process that volunteers benefit from. You connect to the other volunteers, and you connect to those outside of the volunteer circle when you share stories about your volunteering.
The one thing that unites volunteers is the desire to support the aims of the organization. And that united desire helps connect them in conversation and activity. When I spend two hours helping the Boy Scouts with their project, I know I’m spending time with boys that are eager and motivated, but also that the adults present care about the kids and the program. I’ll find out about other aspects of the lives of all those involved, and I know we already have something in common.
And, when I get together with the neighbors at the block party, I can relate the story about water balloon slingshots…