Volunteering
What is volunteering? It is “offering” something to someone or an organization that has a need.
While volunteering and service are similar in their core value, offering work to assist others, it is important to understand the difference between the two.
Volunteering needs to be genuine and authentic without having monetary compensation
Volunteering is offering something for free (service, task, or undertaking) and absolutely willingly for some benefit other than one’s own.
SERVICE is a term related to the phrase community service. It involves offering work to benefit a cause or a person that will benefit a community.
General TIPS for any type of Volunteer experience
These are pieces of information that might be of help to you, I hope!
Be prepared
Knowledge is powerful
Preparedness for volunteer work is very important. There are challenges in unfamiliar places and situations, along with difficult social situations. If you are not ready for this experience, the whole “giving” process can be stressful and defeat the purpose of helping others. This is all important for the well-being of all involved.
Understand the site
Finding some information about the place where you volunteer will help you recognize which skills and abilities you will need to get the most out of the experience. Understanding what the site does and needs will allow you to have more “realistic” expectations acknowledging that most volunteer sites have few resources and they do the best they can with what they have.
Learn
Take learning to the next level
Be ready to learn from people who know how to navigate challenging situations. You will work in a diverse group or team. Working in this setting will test you in different ways while allowing you to acquire special skills that will be useful throughout life.
Patience
It teaches us acceptance
There is no volunteer experience that does not require this endurance trait. You might find that some places are disorganized, primarily due to a lack of resources, bureaucracy, and training. Also, your expectations might be too high.
Do not fear frustration. We all get frustrated to some degree when we cannot change or understand something.
Don’t Fear Frustration
An essential part of the success
We all get frustrated when we cannot change or understand something. It is a sign that you are engaged; it might not be an enjoyable feeling because it seems that we can’t achieve a goal but know that it is just one step in a process. After frustration, negotiation with the situation towards success comes.
Find out information
It maximizes the time
Some knowledge about the volunteer experience will help you maximize your time and ease some situations that could otherwise be misunderstood. While some information is key to understanding the ups and downs of the experience, please don’t over-prepare! Most spare-moment situations are powerful learning experiences in volunteer work!
Visit the Organization’s Website
Learn everything you can about the organization by visiting its website. After you’ve done your research, make a list of questions and send them in an email. Through their response, you will gain a better understanding of the organization. Be patient with their response time; these organizations are typically understaffed and take time to respond.
“Volunteering is the seed that blossoms compassion, that feeling that puts you in somebody’s shoes and makes you want to walk together” Dr.P
Dr. P’s Personal Tip
Volunteering requires a person to focus on others (not a selfie type of person) and to be slow at judging others. Real volunteering should not have a hidden agenda. Your primary reason should be to want to help others. Some people might volunteer for reasons other than giving, such as it looking good on their resume or wanting people to like them. While there is nothing wrong with wanting to document your experience, being genuine in your desire to help will make any challenges in volunteering, such as frustration or anger, easier to handle. Studies have shown that there is no correlation between volunteering and finding a job, which is another reason not to be too practical when volunteering.
Volunteering can be short-term or long-term, and the majority of volunteering is for a one-time deal or short-term (one day to a week). There is no monetary compensation for volunteering, and there should be no hidden agenda, for example, volunteering because it looks good on a resume.
Aboriginal Community
“When pure sincerity forms within, it is outwardly realized in other people’s hearts.”
― Lao Tzu
