Organization

Volunteering Away from Home

June 23, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Volunteering abroad is on the rise. These projects entice prospective volunteers because they provide an experience of traveling to a new place and diving into a new culture while helping out and making an impact on the community. However, if you’re looking into organizations that will give you the experience of volunteering overseas, you need to be realistic about what this “voluntourism” will accomplish.

Perceiving Your Experience
Volunteers often want to come away from their experience with a finished product—a completely constructed school, for instance—so they can have a concrete answer to the inevitable question, “so what did you achieve?” You must keep in mind that your volunteer project is part of a process. You’ll come away from it with a new perspective on your own life and country as well as the place you experienced. And while you may not build a whole school in a week, you will take small steps towards meaningful change.

Components of Successful Projects
Successful organizations don’t simply move in and begin to determine the path of development. Instead, successful projects start with the needs of the community and engage the community in dialogue to recognize needs. Members of the community should be part of the process of identifying their needs and determining how to best address problems. You should make sure the organization with which you’re working has an ongoing relationship with the community—a new school won’t have much of an impact if there are no teachers to teach in it. Remember to be realistic about what a positive experience will be and choose something that fits your own interests and abilities.

Filed Under: General, Volunteering Tagged With: Organization, Volunteer, Volunteer travel

Ways to Help Part III

October 11, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Volunteering is an unselfish way to improve the lives of those in your community, but choosing the right charity or organization can be difficult. Despite the number of choices, choosing the right volunteering activity that is right for you is important. There are opportunities that help the poor and homeless, help the sick and dying, and help improve centers in the community.

Many people would not think that a public library would require committed volunteers, but their operation depends on them. Volunteers in public libraries are responsible for running children’s programs, reshelving books, and making books available to those in the community like Books on Wheels. Although individuals who volunteer at public libraries are usually adults, there has been a welcome increase of teenage volunteers.

Senior citizen centers also require volunteers to keep programs running. Volunteers are needed to plan and hold events such as dances, concerts, and bingo for the seniors in the community. Many volunteers develop lasting friendships with the seniors and improve their quality of life by offering them activities outside of the home.

Humans are not the only members of society that need the help of volunteers. Animal shelters are mostly nonprofit and depend greatly on the work of volunteers. Volunteers are needed to help take care of the animals, work with the public for adoptions, and keep the facilities clean for the animals. If volunteers were not present in animal shelters, the nonprofit organizations would not be able to properly care for the homeless creatures.

The American Red Cross helps individuals and families who are in a state of emergency. The scope of the Red Cross service can range from whole communities hit by disaster or one sick child who needs blood in order to live. The Red Cross welcomes volunteers who want to work in the administrative office or out in the field handing out supplies. The Salvation Army is also an organization that provides rehabilitation centers, social services, and disaster services among many others. Volunteer programs are available across the country and many lives are touched by what the organization accomplishes.

Filed Under: General, Groups, Individual, Volunteering Tagged With: American Red Cross, Animal shelter, Homelessness, Non-profit organization, Organization, Philanthropy, Public library, Volunteer

The Character of a Volunteer

October 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image via Wikipedia

People that volunteer are a blessing to charities and organizations around the globe. No volunteer is alike and that diversity is what keeps organizations running. People of all ages can volunteer as long as they are responsible, enthusiastic, and willing to commit to those that need help. Volunteers have extremely different personalities, can be male or female, and are not limited by size or color, but there are characteristics that all volunteers have that make them an asset to any charity or organization.

A volunteer has the ability to broaden the interest of others by introducing them to ideas outside of their own home or workplace. Volunteerism is an example of ones willingness to help others and change the world. Volunteers have a genuine concern for others and are willing to make time each week to enhancing their quality of life. People who volunteer have a willingness to learn what the organization does and has a positive outlook on life and the work they do. Computer skills and strong organization skills are important skills for any volunteer to have because it makes their work more efficient.

Over 44% of the United States population volunteers at one or more charities or organizations across the nations. Most volunteers devote an average of four hours every week to helping individuals in their community on a local, regional, and national level. One important characteristic of a volunteer is to devote at least two hours every week, but most volunteers believe more time should be given to help others. Some individuals volunteer because they want to help but also because they want to have community service on their resume; however, most volunteers skip adding their service to their resumes because their work is all about helping others. Whether you have some extra time to give to your community or you are retired, a strong character is an important trait for those who want to make a change.

Filed Under: Celebrity, General, Groups, Individual, Volunteering Tagged With: Community service, opportunities, Organization, Philanthropy, Specialty Travel, Travel, United States, Volunteer

Young People can Change the World

October 7, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image by London Permaculture via Flickr

When it comes to volunteering and community service, some people like to do the hands on work such as making gift baskets, serving food, or distributing clothes. Other volunteers want to help behind the scenes by finding funding and confronting the people who do not believe in what the charity or organization. When it comes to community service, all volunteers will work in the area that they are most comfortable and believe they can do the most good. Most adults do not believe many young people want to do their community a service, but there is a decrease in the age of those volunteering.
Many young people who volunteer have a voice in changing the policies of an organization and finding new and effective ways to raise money. The young people who volunteer have the desire and drive to help others in their community and have not become cynical by the hard work that they do. Not every young person will carry the drive and determination that others do at first, but volunteering is a learning opportunity. Many young people who are not as assertive in the beginning find themselves fighting for something bigger than they are months down the line.
Parents that find themselves with a child that has an overwhelming desire to change the world are encouraged to volunteer with their children. By volunteering and working alongside the youth of the world, adults can learn many life lessons. The young people of the world have great ideas and should be heard. One of the most important skills that young people in volunteer programs have that adults lack is the ability to listen more and speak less. By understanding what is expected of volunteers, what the organization does, and how the organization plans to help the communities it serves, young volunteers are able to execute the organizations goals. Young individuals should not be brushed off as being lazy and selfish because the youth of the world will eventually be the ones running the charities and organizations. If they are not given a chance, what chance do our communities have?

Filed Under: General, Individual, Volunteering Tagged With: Community service, opportunities, Organization, Philanthropy, Travel, United States, Volunteering, Youth

Volunteers for Daytime Activities

October 2, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

: Image via Wikipedia

A myth in the world of charities and organization is that daytime availability of volunteers is dwindling away. Many volunteers relied on homemakers to volunteer during business hours, but as more women left the home and entered the workforce organizations were left with minimal volunteers. Regardless of the setback, charities are finding it easier to recruit daytime volunteers more than ever before.

Finding adult volunteers who are able to work during the nine to five hours is easy since many individuals don not keep normal business hours. With the increase in individuals working from home, available volunteer hours are flexible. Those who work at home can easily rearrange their schedule to offer help to organizations that need it. There are also others that still work regular jobs that are able to make time during the day to volunteer. Individuals who work in the evening, on the weekends, or work odd shifts can also work daytime hours.

Many businesses are open 24 hours a day, which means their employees work in eight-hour shifts. The morning shift usually begins at 7:00 am, which means the individual is available to volunteer for a couple of hours after their shift. For those who work the evening shift, their availability begins in the morning until their shift begins at 3:00 pm. The businesses that work around the clock are hospitals, factories, hotels, public service departments, entertainment stations, and delivery companies. Evening workers are similar to shift workers and have time available in the afternoon to devote to helping others. Many businesses that keep mostly evening hours are movie theaters, computer services, and restaurants.

Businesses that require weekend shifts give their employees one or two days off during the regular workweek. The majority of service businesses have employees working every day of the week and employees can offer more volunteer hours. Despite the challenge of finding volunteers for daytime activities, they are available for organizations.

Filed Under: Volunteering Tagged With: Business, Employment, opportunities, Organization, Philanthropy, Shift work, Telecommuting, Volunteer

Volunteers can Reach Millions From the Top – landandculture.org

September 23, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

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In many charitable organizations, it is easier to find volunteers who want to be on the front lines doing the hands on work then it is to have them accept a position on the board of directors or other committees. Although a presidential position in an organization does offer status and public recognition, fewer individuals are willing to give up their time and effort to fulfill the top roles. Many see this as a concern, but individuals feel more helpful volunteering on a lower level.
There will always be those individuals who want to work at the top, helping an organization reach more of those in need even though it means more work. The more work a volunteer can do, the more lives that are touched. Being in a leadership role in a volunteer organization does mean a lot of time spent attending meetings, taking risks for the project at hand, making difficult decisions in the face of scrutiny, and accepting the legal liability of tough decisions. Despite the demands of working in a leadership role in a volunteer organization, many volunteers are willing to accept the challenge for the sake of helping others.
Many organizations understand the challenge of finding volunteers who are willing to take on the leadership responsibilities and they have began to fear what the future might hold if no one accepts the job. Despite the difficulty of finding these candidates, they are out there and ready to make a difference. The benefits of working in a leadership position outweigh the negatives of the business. For many volunteers, being intellectually challenged helps individuals feel like they are making more of a difference then just handing out supplies or raising funds. Regardless of the feared shortage of individuals that are willing to take on more responsibility in the volunteer organization, there are many individuals who want to make a difference and have the ability to do it from the top.

Filed Under: Volunteering Tagged With: Business, Charitable organization, Leadership, opportunities, Organization, Philanthropy, United States, Volunteer