It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
So what kind of volunteer work will you be doing this year?
"I don't know.."
"I just don't have time my work is just crazy!"
"My kids have all these things and I'm running around all the time!"
"Well, I'm not sure I'm a soup kitchen type person."
"I'm too tired at the end of the week."
Actually, it's not that difficult to do.
I volunteer with our Indian community culture school as a teacher and I've been doing this for 4 years, in addition to working on annual program book design for 6 years. This is my community service commitment from Sept to June. I'm not going to deny that there are Sundays when I need to do a 100 things and losing 2.5 hours of my day is not appealing or convenient. I have been out of town and drove back to slide in before classes start. It's about fulfilling a commitment to the families in our community that I'll be there.
Also, I started my professional career with non profit organizations. They thrive on volunteer support. There is always a volunteer coordinator who manages requests, assignments and schedules. So, they would supply us with senior citizens who could sit and insert envelopes for mailings. We had skilled volunteers who helped with data entry tasks or even business consulting or legal reviews. It may just be a few hours a week, but it makes a difference to the organization. We actually relied on successful volunteer representation to move our fundraising efforts forward.
What's in it for me?
I don't want to say that being a volunteer makes you a better person. You don't become Mother Teresa if you help out a food bank. However, it does help you become more aware of others that are relying on you. Each of us becomes entangled in all of our personal lives, worries about the present and the future. So, for the time you are doing something else for someone outside of your inner circle, you are more aware of your place in the bigger community. The community may just be your neighborhood or it may be on the global scale. It could increase your self-esteem in recognizing your worth to others.
The type of work you volunteer to do should excite you. If you're doing something you're good at doing, it won't feel like any extra effort. When I started doing the brochure design work, I found myself working late hours on this. However, it was a lot of fun and didn't bother me to spend that much time on it.
Ok, fine. Where do I start?
- Check out VolunteerMatch.org and see what opportunities they have in your area, even virtual assignments so you can do this on your own time. If you go to a new organization, you'll meet new people and make different connections.
- If your kids activies take up your time, see how you can volunteer beside them. For example, organize a Scouts event or help coach or coordinate their teams. There are always a few parents leading the efforts and everyone rides on their coattails. Give them a break and reciprocate their efforts. It's not easy for them either to juggle this on top of everything else. In the end, it's all for our kids. It takes a village, folks.
- Look inside your community. Does your temple or church need help for upcoming events? Does the school need help for fundraising efforts? What about the historical association or parks?
- Here's a good article with suggestions on how to get started.
Remember to start small, and don't overcommit yourself. If you are enthusiastic about the work, it will have a tendency to snowball and can be overwhelming. If you're unable to fulfil them, others may be disappointed so be sure to communicate clearly.
It's about time.
Actually, it's not about making time to volunteer. It's a matter of opening your mind and stepping out of routine.
And, somehow you'll find the time and energy to do it.
Would love it if you could check back in here and let me know what you were inspired do this year.
"I don't know.."
"I just don't have time my work is just crazy!"
"My kids have all these things and I'm running around all the time!"
"Well, I'm not sure I'm a soup kitchen type person."
"I'm too tired at the end of the week."
Actually, it's not that difficult to do.
I volunteer with our Indian community culture school as a teacher and I've been doing this for 4 years, in addition to working on annual program book design for 6 years. This is my community service commitment from Sept to June. I'm not going to deny that there are Sundays when I need to do a 100 things and losing 2.5 hours of my day is not appealing or convenient. I have been out of town and drove back to slide in before classes start. It's about fulfilling a commitment to the families in our community that I'll be there.
Also, I started my professional career with non profit organizations. They thrive on volunteer support. There is always a volunteer coordinator who manages requests, assignments and schedules. So, they would supply us with senior citizens who could sit and insert envelopes for mailings. We had skilled volunteers who helped with data entry tasks or even business consulting or legal reviews. It may just be a few hours a week, but it makes a difference to the organization. We actually relied on successful volunteer representation to move our fundraising efforts forward.
What's in it for me?
I don't want to say that being a volunteer makes you a better person. You don't become Mother Teresa if you help out a food bank. However, it does help you become more aware of others that are relying on you. Each of us becomes entangled in all of our personal lives, worries about the present and the future. So, for the time you are doing something else for someone outside of your inner circle, you are more aware of your place in the bigger community. The community may just be your neighborhood or it may be on the global scale. It could increase your self-esteem in recognizing your worth to others.
The type of work you volunteer to do should excite you. If you're doing something you're good at doing, it won't feel like any extra effort. When I started doing the brochure design work, I found myself working late hours on this. However, it was a lot of fun and didn't bother me to spend that much time on it.
Ok, fine. Where do I start?
- Check out VolunteerMatch.org and see what opportunities they have in your area, even virtual assignments so you can do this on your own time. If you go to a new organization, you'll meet new people and make different connections.
- If your kids activies take up your time, see how you can volunteer beside them. For example, organize a Scouts event or help coach or coordinate their teams. There are always a few parents leading the efforts and everyone rides on their coattails. Give them a break and reciprocate their efforts. It's not easy for them either to juggle this on top of everything else. In the end, it's all for our kids. It takes a village, folks.
- Look inside your community. Does your temple or church need help for upcoming events? Does the school need help for fundraising efforts? What about the historical association or parks?
- Here's a good article with suggestions on how to get started.
Remember to start small, and don't overcommit yourself. If you are enthusiastic about the work, it will have a tendency to snowball and can be overwhelming. If you're unable to fulfil them, others may be disappointed so be sure to communicate clearly.
It's about time.
Actually, it's not about making time to volunteer. It's a matter of opening your mind and stepping out of routine.
And, somehow you'll find the time and energy to do it.
Would love it if you could check back in here and let me know what you were inspired do this year.
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