Volunteering - Everybody Can Be Great
Information compiled by Ruth Estes, Ph.D.
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“Everybody can be great . . . because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

For individuals who are not yet ready to return to employment following injury, for those who decide not to return to employment, and for those who are employed but want more, volunteering has many benefits. We encourage you to
consider how volunteering might enhance your life as well of the lives of others.

Volunteering gives you the opportunity to:

• Support a cause
• Share your knowledge and expertise
• Express yourself
• Gain confidence and self-esteem
• Do something different from your routine
• Reduce social isolation
• Be part of a team
• Improve health
• Build your resume/Gain work experience
• Express gratitude for help you may have received
• Explore career options
• Meet people and make friends
• Build new skills
• Develop professional contacts
• Pursue new interests
• Feel the satisfaction of helping others
• Make a difference in your community

FINDING THE RIGHT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU

By Susan J. Ellis of Energize, Inc. and The Virtual Volunteering Project

There are many volunteer assignments available and you should take your time to find the one that best matches you. Start by thinking about the following questions:

What causes or issues matter the most to me?
Do you know what organizations address these issues, and are these organizations accessible in your community? Do you think these organizations are doing a good job and deserve your support? Have you ever given them a financial donation, and do you feel good about how your donation was used? Or are you concerned about a cause that no one else seems to be tackling? Are you willing to be the founder of a new effort? Are you concerned about issues outside the United States?

All of these questions will help you to focus on the type of organization you want to approach with your offer to volunteer.

Do I want to volunteer for something that uses the skills I apply in my paying work or do I want to do something completely different?
What types of things are you good at (and like to do)? These can be professional skills or even hobbies and recreational talents. Almost every type of skill is needed somewhere. The better you are at explaining exactly what you can offer, the easier it will be to find the right type of volunteer work for you. Keep in mind that some volunteer positions will require prior knowledge of a task (such as working with a computer), but that there are a lot of volunteer assignments needing great people skills, too--the ability to be a good listener, non-judgemental, cheery, supportive.

When you inventory your assets, also ask yourself: "Do I want to use these talents in a volunteer capacity?" If you really are looking for a complete change from your everyday job, then you might not want to select volunteer work that calls upon the same skills you use everyday.

What would I most like to learn by volunteering?
As a volunteer, you have the freedom to experiment with new activities. Is there something you wish you had the opportunity to learn? Some organizations will gladly assign you to something as a beginner because they know that you will be motivated by tackling something new. This is one way that volunteering develops your skills and is fun. By testing yourself in different ways, you'll end up with a fresh perspective back in the everyday world.

What don't I want to do as a volunteer?
It's OK to identify certain things you want to avoid as a volunteer. The happier you are about what you will be doing, the better you will be as a volunteer. So don't feel that you have to say "yes" to any assignment offered. Feel free to negotiate.

Do I want an ongoing, regularly-scheduled assignment, or a short-term assignment, or a one-time assignment?
Some volunteer assignments do require a lot of time. But others can be accomplished in a short period of time, even one day. More and more organizations are designing volunteer work that can be done in the evenings and on weekends, and in short bursts of intensive time. Be honest with yourself and with the agency you contact about your availability and start from there. The organization will need to know that they can count on you to maintain your scheduled commitment. It may be better to start with a limited number of hours of volunteer work and later expand your schedule, rather than promising many more hours than you later will be able to give.

Do I want to work alone or with a group? Or with a friend or my family?

Am I willing to participate in a training course or do I want to start my volunteer work immediately?
With what kind of people do I want to work--both in terms of who is receiving services and who my co-workers might be?

What should I expect when I contact an agency to apply to become a volunteer?
Most agencies will ask you questions about your background, qualifications and interests. Depending on the type of agency and on the volunteer assignment, you may be asked to make an appointment for a face-to-face interview. Expect to complete a written volunteer application form.

If the assignment involves working with children or other vulnerable populations, it may be a legal requirement that the agency ask for references and do a child abuse or other criminal background check. Don't be insulted! It's the law. Besides, aren't you glad that children and the elderly are being protected?

Based on the assignment under consideration, it is also possible that you may be asked to sign a confidentiality statement, take a tuberculosis test, show proof of automobile insurance, or agree to attend a training workshop. If you are under age 18, you will probably need to have a parent or guardian sign a consent form.

Feel free to ask questions about any of the procedures requested by the agency.

How do I find information about volunteer opportunities?
There are many ways to identify organizations looking for volunteers. The Points of Light Foundation serves as a national volunteer center network, and VolunteerMatch is an online database helping volunteers and organizations find their perfect match. Yahoo! provides a wonderful directory of community service and volunteerism resources, which might be a great place to begin your search.

You can also call any agency and ask if they are looking for volunteers. Just as with a paid job search, taking the initiative may pay off.

And if you cannot find an organization that does the work you most want to do as a volunteer, maybe you should consider becoming the founder of a new group or agency. It always starts with one person with a vision. Maybe that's you!

Looking for volunteer work is very much like looking for a paying job--only better! Expect volunteering to be a fun way to spend your valuable time, with the added benefit of helping others. The more you know about what you want to do, the more valuable you will be to the organization you join as a volunteer.

Persistence pays! Not every agency may answer you promptly. Or the application, screening, and training may take up several weeks to complete. Do not get discouraged if a program does not get back to you, or if a program requires several "hoops" to go through before you can start volunteering. Rewards from volunteering are well worth the effort, so hang in there and keep trying!

Reprinted with permission from Focus on Volunteering KopyKit, 2nd ed., by Susan J. Ellis, copyright 1999, Energize, Inc./Parlay International,www.energizeinc.com
and ServiceLeader.org.

http://www.serviceleader.org/new/volunteers/articles/2003/04/000058.php
HOW TO EVALUATE A POTENTIAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
By Susan J. Ellis of Energize, Inc.

Being sure that you have found the right volunteer activity for you will help make the experience the best it can be.

• When shopping for a volunteer job, it is recommended that, if possible, you arrange to tour the agency, speak with paid staff and/or unpaid staff (volunteers) and learn about the organization and its volunteer program. Get the organization's brochure, look at their web site, and educate yourself about what the organization is trying to accomplish.

• Ask the agency why they involve volunteers and how volunteers help the organization work towards its mission. The answer will give you an idea of the value of volunteers to the agency and the kind of culture in which they operate.

• Ask about written volunteer job descriptions and length of commit- ment, inquire about training oppor- tunities, and discuss your motivation for and interest in volunteering.

• You should expect to be interviewed by agency representatives who are responsible for determining the appropriateness of potential volunteers.

• Remember that you will be expected to complete the assignment you have accepted and perform the job to the best of your ability. Just as you are investing your time in the organiza- tion, the staff and other volunteers are investing time and resources in you.

• Be patient - not every volunteer job is right for every volunteer. It is important to give yourself time to explore a variety of opportunities within the different agencies. While one particular job may not be ideal for you, dozens of other volunteer assignments may meet your needs and expectations.

Reprinted with permission from Focus on Volunteering KopyKit, 2nd ed., by Susan J. Ellis, copyright 1999, Energize, Inc./Parlay International,www.energizeinc.com
and ServiceLeader.org.

http://www.serviceleader.org/new/volunteers/articles/2003/04/000058.php

VOLUNTEERING TO EXPLORE CAREER POSSIBILITIES
By Susan J. Ellis of Energize, Inc.

Are you looking to start a career or to change jobs? Volunteering is a marvelous way to explore possible career options. It is relatively risk-free in that you can sample a work field or setting without making a long-term commitment to it. This allows you to discover whether or not you like the work or are good at it -- and if you discover it's not for you, you can move on without disrupting your resume or your cash flow.

On the other hand, if you find the work exciting, you can increase your volunteer commitment so that you learn even more about this new job field and your talent for it. Eventually, volunteering can lead you to a paying job -- by providing contacts, references, and something tangible to show on your resume.

For new graduates, volunteering can place you a notch above your fellow students who may only be able to show prospective employers that they studied in the classroom and held minimum-wage summer jobs. Your volunteer work will demonstrate that you have practical skills, can function in a work environment, and care about your community.

For those who are tired of their present job, volunteering is a welcome change of pace. It allows you to test yourself in new situations and to see what truly interests you. It gives you the luxury to fail -- the chance to risk doing something you've never done before and to
learn from it even if it doesn't work out. Community service shows prospective employers that you not only want to make a change in your job, but that you have already made a change and now want to expand your "extracurricular" activities into a full-time career.

If you have been out of the work force while raising a family, or took a leave due to illness or bereavement, volunteering is a way back into the work place. It gives you the opportunity to develop self-confidence and prove that your skills are still alive (or lets you get back up to speed on new-fangled developments such as computers and faxes).

For the active retiree, volunteering is a second (or third or fourth) career -- the chance finally to do what you thought was closed off to you because of job choices you made long ago. Experiment with volunteering and keep your talents youthful.

Volunteering is only career exploration if you consciously select assignments that:

• place you in the type of setting you want to learn about;

• let you work side by side with professionals you can observe and who can answer questions you may have about their career;

• ask for as much training as you can get;

• ask to be "promoted" to tasks of greater challenge so that you can truly use the volunteer experience to document your accomplishments to a prospective employer.
You will learn the most by involving yourself in causes and agencies you want to help succeed. So while you gain career exploration, the agency gains a great volunteer -- a win-win situation.

Reprinted with permission from Focus on Volunteering KopyKit, 2nd ed., by Susan J. Ellis, copyright 1999, Energize, Inc./Parlay International,www.energizeinc.com
and ServiceLeader.org.

http://www.serviceleader.org/new/volunteers/articles/2003/04/000061.php

VOLUNTEERING WITH YOUR FAMILY
By Susan J. Ellis of Energize, Inc.

If you are like most people, there are simply too few hours in a day. You have many demands on your time, from doing what your boss wants to doing what your children want. And with all that is already filling your schedule, you can't see how you can become a volunteer, even if you want to help solve community problems. Here's a unique idea that has many benefits: become a volunteer along with some or all of your family members!

Family volunteering can be done by the whole family together or by one parent and one child or teenager as a special "twosome" project. Or it can be several siblings together. It can involve both parents or one parent and an extended family member such as a grandparent or aunt/uncle. The mix-and-match possibilities are endless. The agency receiving your volunteer services benefits by having more helpers at one time. If you volunteer on a regular schedule and occasionally a family member cannot come one week, there are others to help fill in. What do you gain by volunteering together as a family? First of all, you assure that elusive but much sought goal of "quality time" with each other. You share a common bond while doing something worthwhile for others. You get to know your children in new ways, and vice versa. The process of demonstrating skills and learning new ones gives both age levels the chance to respect one another, work together towards the same goals -- and have something to talk about all week!

If you are already active as a volunteer somewhere, you can continue your participation with less guilt about the time you spend away from your family. Now you'll be with them -- and the organizations you care about will receive even more volunteer help!

Choosing a Family Volunteer Project
Call a family meeting and take time to consider this whole idea. Make sure everyone, no matter how young, participates in the discussion. You might want to proceed this way:

1. Make a list of all the volunteering each member of the family is doing now. Would the others like to help with any of these activities?

2. What causes interest you? Allow everyone to suggest a community problem of concern to him or her. If some of the ideas intrigue the whole family, start exploring what organizations in your community are already working on these. Use the Yellow Pages, go to the library, visit the Volunteer Center.

3. Also consider what types of work everyone wants to do. Make two lists: one for "Things We Know How to Do" and one for "Things We Would Like to Learn How to Do." Make sure something is listed for each member of the family. This is a great chance to acknowledge the talents of parents and children. These lists will also prove useful when you interview with an agency.

It may take several family meetings to complete these steps, but the conversations should be very interesting!

You will then be ready to offer your services as a family volunteer team. Call several organizations for appointments and screen your options. See whether the agency representatives are comfortable talking to your children as well as to the adults in the family. Does the agency have something meaningful for you to do as a group?

You may want to begin with a one-time activity. This will test the water to see how everyone likes volunteering together.

Once you have committed to a volunteer project, take it seriously. Show your children that volunteer work is important and meaningful. Talk about the activity during the week and plan ahead to do it, even when things get hectic. Some of the work may introduce your children to new ideas and possibly to people different from themselves. What a wonderful opportunity to pass along your values and ethics-- but only if you take the time to talk about everyone's reactions. You, too, may be challenged by what you experience as a volunteer. Share those feelings with your children. If you have several children, the time may come when you want to focus on an individual son or daughter. Sharing a volunteer project as a twosome may be the key to helping each child feel special.

Reprinted with permission from Focus on Volunteering KopyKit, 2nd ed., by Susan J. Ellis, copyright 1999, Energize, Inc./Parlay International,www.energizeinc.com
and ServiceLeader.org.

http://www.serviceleader.org/new/volunteers/ articles/2003/04/000059.php

TEN POINTS OF ADVICE FOR VOLUNTEERS FROM THE HIROSHIMA VOLUNTEER NETWORK IN JAPAN

Point 1. Start with What You Can Do

Look around yourself and start with anything that you think you can do. Remember, it's very important to start with what is easier and to gradually move on to more challenging activities as you grow more confident. Starting with what you are sure you can manage, you can lay a solid foundation for future steps.

Point 2. Don't Overburden Yourself

Don't be too ambitious if you hope to continue your activities for any length of time. A modest but continued activity will win people’s trust and help you to be able stay involved even longer. Remember that it is important to have the courage to say “no” to what you think is beyond your ability.

Point 3. Put Yourself in the Other Person's Shoes

As you get accustomed to your activity, you’ll tend to want to have your own way. Any volunteer activity involves two parties: those who are in need of help and those who are trying to help them. The will and desire of the person whom you are trying to help should be your first and foremost priority. Remember to always reflect upon your own behavior and ask yourself how you can help them.

Point 4. Keep Your Promises

Never break promises you’ve made, even if they seem to be trivial ones that you just happened to make during casual chats. It goes without saying that you must keep your word regarding such things as when you'll visit and the kinds of services you are going to provide. Don't make an exception of children, either. They are counting on your help and relying on you. Your responsibility is a very heavy one. It would not be too much to say that the establishment of a trusting relationship with the other party is a key to your
success as a volunteer worker.

Point 5. Be a Good Manager of Your Time and Energy

There is a limit to both the number of places where you can be involved and the amount of time that you can spend on your volunteer activities. Be aware of the limits, and match your efforts to your goals accordingly.

Point 6. Obtain the Understanding of Your Family

Basically, volunteer workers are required to provide their services when the other party needs them. Sometimes they have to work on Saturdays and Sundays, and sometimes they have to work for extended periods of time. Inevitably, volunteers end up spending less time at home, a possible cause for friction with their families. Don't sacrifice your family or your job for the sake of your volunteer activities. Obtaining full understanding of the people closest to you is an important early step to take.

Point 7. Keep Secrets

As a volunteer you’ll need to be knowledgeable about the other party, for your activities are based on personal ties and mutual efforts. Also, you'll learn various sorts of information through the course of your activities. Such information will be disclosed to you out of trust and to facilitate your volunteer activities. You must never pass this information on to others. Protecting people's privacy is not only common sense from the point of view of respect for their rights, but is also a basis for creating trust and fruitful volunteer activity.

Point 8. Don't Let Religion and Politics Meddle In

Some people become interested in volunteering because of religious beliefs or a sense of justice. Whatever your motivation is, you deserve credit for wanting to offer a helping hand to those who are experiencing troubles or difficulties. However, you must not attempt to
persuade or force the other party to join a religion of which you are a member, or to support a political party that you favor. Respecting each other's rights to freedom of religion, thought, and belief is showing respect for basic human rights. And volunteer activities are,
after all, essentially about respecting the human rights of others. It is very important for you to understand the gravity of this.

Point 9. Don't Exchange Money or Goods

Volunteers activities are not something you do because coerced by others, but rather are done solely because you want to. No one can compel you to do anything in this context. In order to maintain the independence and freedom of your activities, you should not accept any kind of compensation or remuneration. Nor should you give any money or goods as assistance. Volunteer workers help others through their emotional support and good deeds. As for transportation fees and other costs involved in volunteer activities, however, the other party normally pays.

Point 10. Learn from Your Activities

Volunteer activities are not charity. Pushing kindness on others can be not only a nuisance, but also an obstacle to establishing a personal relationship on equal terms, since it divides the parties involved into a superior "giver" and an subordinate "receiver." Volunteering is not a one-way flow of assistance, but a mutual activity where you'll also learn from those who you are trying to help. Volunteer activities provide a wonderful opportunity for personal development and self-fulfillment.

Thanks to Steve McCurley for passing these on.

Used with permission from ServiceLeader.org

http://www.serviceleader.org/new/volunteers/ articles/2003/04/000049print.php

Volunteering as a Vehicle for Social Support and Life Satisfaction

Theme: Volunteer work improves the well-being of individual volunteers primarily, but not exclusively, by enhancing social support networks.

Social Support Networks and Health

• Support from family and friends acts as a buffer against stress and illness.
• People with increased social contacts and stronger support networks have lower premature death rates, less heart disease, and fewer health risk factors.
• Some experts have concluded that the health benefits of social relationships may be as important as health risks such as smoking, physical inactivity, and high blood pressure.
• Social network size is consistently related to health and well-being.
• Social networks provide both emotional benefits and actual assistance in time of need.
• An individual's perception or awareness of the availability of support, regardless of the presence of a stressful circumstance, is health-enhancing.

Social Support and Volunteering

• Volunteering helps individuals form interpersonal ties and develop their social networks.
• Social support is a key reason for the link between volunteering, life satisfaction and health outcomes. While it is difficult to know whether healthy people are more likely to volunteer or whether volunteering provides health benefits, poor health was indicated as a barrier to volunteering by only 22 % of Canadian non-volunteers recently surveyed in the National Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NGSVP).
• Social participation may not only enhance the support available to individuals, but may also promote health by positively affecting thoughts, emotions and behaviour.
• Beyond the benefits of social ties gained from volunteer behaviour, research by Young and Glasgow, among others, suggests a separate and distinct benefit of formal affiliation with community-oriented organizations.

Volunteering and Self-Enhancement

Theme: Volunteering provides volunteers with opportunities to enhance their employability, self-esteem, personal coping skills and resources, all of which have health benefits.

Self-Enhancement and Health

• By self-enhancement, we refer to a person's sense of confidence, self-esteem and belief in their abilities, which are related to one's resources, skill development and learning.
• People with a strong sense of their own effectiveness, coping abilities, and social usefulness, and who are socially active, tend to have better health, lower mortality, and healthier lifestyles.
• Self-esteem and confidence are related to reduced blood pressure and improved immune function.
• Multiple roles also enhance health and longevity: for example, occupying the roles or identities of worker, wife, mother, friend, volunteer, and club member increases social integration and personal resources, and aids in coping with stress.
• People who are unemployed tend to suffer from more health problems.

Social Support and Volunteering

• Three-quarters of volunteers surveyed in the National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (NSGVP) reported gaining interpersonal skills; volunteers also developed communication, organizational and managerial skills.
• Youth most often volunteer to improve job opportunities (54%) and explore their own abilities (68%). Benefits for youth in terms of enhanced confidence and self-esteem through skill development are particularly important.
• Gerard's recent European research found that those who leave school early or come from disadvantaged backgrounds, yet
volunteer, show levels of psychological well-being equal to educated, professional non-volunteers.
• Volunteers often report a "helper's high": a physical and psychological "feel-good" sensation linked to physiological changes.
• Volunteering enhances health because it provides an additional role or identity: individuals with many interests and roles have increased well-being.

Used with permission from Health Canada.

Upper chart retrieved from
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/voluntarysector/benefits/benefits1a.html
Lower chart retrieved from
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/voluntarysector/benefits/benefits1b.html

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