Monday, May 14, 2012

WHY, WHAT and HOW to Volunteer

That's ME!  Volunteering as an SCA Volunteer Interpretive Park Ranger at the Grand Canyon National Park, South Rim.  I'm pretty sure that was the Fossil Walk.  I was given a room, a uniform and a food stipend every other week.  They paid my travel costs to and from the canyon.  Other volunteers were retirees and college students.

This is VOLUNTEERING!


WHY volunteer?

Here's a list I made off of the top of my head in under 3 minutes:
  • To be part of something bigger
  • To keep depression away
  • To keep PTSD away
  • To gain experience for your resume
  • To stay busy when you're in between jobs
  • You have more freedom than a regular job
  • Make friends
  • Do something cool
  • Network
  • Free stuff (t-shirts, admission to an event, etc...)
  • Experience for college bound teens
  • Flexible post-retirement work for senior citizens
  • It's the right thing to do for your community and country
These are just a few reasons. I'm sure there are a million more.

I've been volunteering with different organizations since I was a freshman in high school.  It has been a large part of my life since then, even if I never realized it.  It wasn't always an option that was readily apparent until I had a burning desire to work at the Smithsonian Institution and figured I'd have to wait until college to get a summer job there, doing something mundane like working in the cafeteria.  My step father, who was a volunteer at the National Gallery of Art at the time, suggested I volunteer at the museum.  It had never occurred to me to volunteer.  I walked into the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (my favorite) and simply asked, "How do I become a volunteer here?"  That was it!  That's all I needed.  Just ask.  That question started what I am sure will be a lifetime of giving a little time here and there to be a better person, and leave this world a better place than when I came into it.


Russ England and I at the headwater of one of the tributaries of the Umpqua River in Oregon.  Russ and I were Stream Surveyor volunteers for the BLM in 1992.  We walked through virgin forests all day, measuring stream quality and attributes.  It was such a peaceful job.  Perfect for a discharged Veteran who is wanting a quiet reintegration.
Again, an SCA position with full room and board, a food stipend, and travel expenses paid to and from the position.

This is VOLUNTEERING!


Here are the jobs I've done as a volunteer*:

Mission Volunteer in Saltillo, Mexico - St. Alphonsus Catholic Church
Discovery Room Docent - Smithsonian Institution NMNH
Naturalist Center Docent - Smithsonian Institution NMNH
Folklife Festival Volunteer 1992 - Smithsonian Institution
National Zoo Volunteer
Interpretive Park Ranger Grand Canyon National Park - Student Conservation Association Volunteer
Stream Surveyor for the Umpqua District BLM -  Student Conservation Association Volunteer
Library Volunteer - Burbank Elementary School, my son's school at the time.
Assistant for "Food For Thought", a cooking show - WCNY PBS, Syracuse, NY
Botanical Surveyor - Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Gardens
Tough Mudder  2011 SoCal Volunteer - I wrote numbers on people.  That was pretty fun, actually.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) - I'm still doing this.  I consider it a civic duty.

(*All of these look great on resumes and make you stand out from the rest of the herd when applying for a job.!)

Volunteering at Tough Mudder 2011, SoCal.
I received free parking, lunch, a t-shirt, and wrote numbers on the craziest people I've ever seen.  I even tried to paint one. :)

This is also VOLUNTEERING!


WHAT types of volunteer jobs are there?

As you can see from my list above, volunteer jobs come in a wide variety.  Some are light-hearted and easy.  Others are serious and difficult, but equally rewarding.  Some are short - hours, in duration, and some are years.  What almost all of them share is the lack of a real paycheck.

Here's what you should consider before you look for a volunteer position:
  • What do you want to do? 
  • What is enjoyable to you?
  • How much time can you spare?  Hours a week? A month? 1 day this year?
  • How far do you want to travel?
  • Do you want to work alone or with others?
  • Do you want to work in the United States or overseas?

For example,  if you are a college student with summers off, no family or military commitments, and really love Civil War history, there are several volunteer positions open right now at battle fields up and down the east coast that provide housing, food stipend and travel to and from home.  They provide training as well. 

If you are a senior citizen, retired military, and feel a sense of duty to the Armed Forces, but only have a few hours a week to spare, volunteering at the VA Hospital as help desk person or at the local military base Retiree Affairs may be the thing for you. 


These volunteers, mostly retirees from the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California, conduct whale surveys.   They meet at the Pt Vicente Interpretive Center on the Palos Verdes Peninsula and count whales that swim up and down the coast.
The data is used by thousands of scientists!

This is also VOLUNTEERING! 

In this economy, WHY would anyone volunteer?  

Well, for starters, some volunteer jobs will provide food, clothing and housing.  YES, you can get all that as a volunteer.  Most of those jobs are the longer term, jobs, obviously, but how can you pass up an opportunity like that if your job is, say, "Interpretive Park Ranger at the Grand Canyon"?  (This was my summer volunteer job after college, which provided room, board, and uniforms at no cost to me.)

You get free stuff!  When I volunteered at "Food for Thought" cooking show in New York, guess who came home with amazing food that night?  This gal!

You can also add amazing experience to your resume!  This is a biggie, folks.  Look at my list up there.  That's job experience and a character reference all in one!  These jobs set you apart from the boring folks.  It shows you are not an idle person.  You are doing something constructive with your time!  What manager wouldn't want that kind of person on their team?  Huh?

It keeps depression away for many, many people!  You are staying busy.  You have somewhere to go.  You have a task to complete.  There is not nearly as much pressure (usually) as a regular job.  If you are lucky enough to volunteer for a humanitarian-type cause, you see how you are helping people and, trust me, that feels AMAZING.



So, HOW do I get started?

It's so simple to take that first step, it's scary.

I added links to several volunteer websites below and on the side of these blog pages.  Some are national, some are overseas.  Simply perusing the sites is the best first step.

If you are desiring to volunteer in the local area, walk in and ask.  Just ask.  If you are unsure if that place is the right fit for you, tell them you want to try it out first.  More than likely, you will revceive a warm welcome and thank you for whatever time you were willing to give.


Some great volunteering sites to get you started.

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