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Annie B. Bond

How to be an Effective Volunteer

posted by Annie B. Bond Jun 27, 2008 1:00 pm
filed under: On The Go, Community Service, Healthy Neighborhood, , , , ,
How to be an Effective Volunteer
28 comments

By the Care2 Staff

If you have a sincere desire to improve the environment and quality of life where you live, why wait? Here are the key steps to becoming an active and effective community service volunteer.

1. Connect with your passion. Do you love to read out loud? Garden? Cook? Hike? Do yoga? You can find opportunities to do what you love and help others at the same time. Local schools, nursing homes, hospitals, and more may need exactly what you have to offer.

2. Use your special skills. For instance, if you love to write and you feel passionately about an issue, write to the editor of your local paper. Know a lot about tree health? Volunteer to help the ailing trees in your local park.

3. Be realistic. Know your limits and operate within them. There is no sense in volunteering 30 hours a week for something if you’re already working 50. Find ways to give what you can, when you can. And never underestimate the power of getting others involved, see below.

4. Enlist others. Any time we get others involved, it becomes cooperative, less burdensome and stressful, and lots more fun. One of the whole points of living in a neighborhood is to have a sense of community. Nothing creates a deeper sense of that than just this sort of shared activity.

More on Community Service (27 articles available)
More from Annie B. Bond (3248 articles available)

28 comments

28 comments

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28 comments add your comment
Dunagiri Retreat

It is always awe inspiring, to see people from all walks of life, all backgrounds, all beliefs, all talents...give of their own time,unselfishly...for the good of others. Whether people band together to organize and complete a volunteer project, or if someone does something as simple as giving a dollar...it all adds up and equals something far larger than the sum of the parts. With all the negative that we often hear in today's world, it is refreshing to have personal experience and proof that there are many, many people on this planet of ours, that ....care.

Kay S.
  • Kay S. says
  • Jul 19, 2008 3:11 PM

I have a job as a volunteer trainee warden at Flatholm Island Project. It is a Nature Reserve and a SSSI. We do work such as educating people about the history and ecology of the island and conserving and maintaining the wildlife.
I love working for the Project, and they are going to have a difficult job getting rid of me at the end of the summer.

Bobbi C.

I am a holistic healer and do a lot of volunteer work at animal shelters, seniors homes,wellness shows,hospitals etc, The joy of helping others is prior in my life. Bobbi

Jan Sadauskas

If you are bi-lingual teach ESL, be a big brother or big sister, or volunteer to teach to those who can't read and/or write at your local literacy agency.

Nancy L.

Don't forget your local library! Offer to present a program about your hobby, help prepare craft supplies for story hour, help out with a book sale... there's plenty of ways to help whether you can give a one-time, 30 minute slot of time or make an on-going regular commitment.

And I'll second Susan L on remembering your local Volunteer (or even full-time professional) Fire Dept...bringing food and/or beverages to a big fire is just one way to help.

Chrsitine G.

I rescue dogs and train them as Service and/or Therapy Dogs for the Disabled. I am training a golden retriever mix now for a boy that has queen's disease. There are many many dogs in shelters that need a second chance, and there are many many disabled persons that could benefit from the partnership of a Service/Therapy Dog. I trained my own service dog, as I was in an auto accident, and now need my dog's assistance. He was rescued from a kill shelter in California, and D'Artagnan is my constant companion. I also volunteer my time to taking my Service Dog to the schools for READING with students and teaching children how to act around animals, treat animals, and the value of service animals in our community. We will also be holding a Responsible Dog Owner Day in our town, so that we can educate people about our dog overpopulation problem, have a chip clinic so that lost animals can go back to their owners and a shot clinic. We will also be having demonstrations from K9 officers, service dog teams and therapy dog teams.

Rhiannon Myst

I volunteered for the local animal protection society and loved it. however in a small town that you have lived away from most of your adult life it had its ups and downs, but I always focused on the real reason I was there~to be a voice for the voiceless. In time I had to give up working with the group, our schedules just didn't mesh. I have always wanted to start my own with the help of like minded friends. Sometimes, its better to have new blood to inspire and motivate when one group has worked and have not made any progress.. Just my opinion...doing what you love and have a passion for is always its on reward.

Jose Carmona

I love rescuing Siberian Huskies and finding them new homes.

Wayne Q.

Our local community centre offers cheap internet access and one-on-one lessons at $5 an hour to anyone wanting to learn more in their computing. I became a volunteer for a morning and an afternoon weekly, and have learnt much myself, as well as helping others to embrace the PC - a rich and rewarding personal experience in volunteering, and timely as I have just turned 65, and only had a PC for 3 years myself.

Chelle A.

I volunteer at the Humane Society, working with the Mobile Adoption Unit, to give dogs,cats and other animals a greater chance for adoption at the stops and events. That's were I found my sweet Sasha kitty - at the shelter.

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