Volunteering is an important and essential contribution from all members of society to help others, ourselves and to improve everyone's life. But it is possible to overdo it and overdo it. This article is not meant to discourage you from volunteering. Rather it wants to explore those occasions when there are very valid reasons for not offering your volunteer services or when at least you need to vary your volunteer offer.
Steps
Step 1. Stop volunteering if you don't have time
If you cannot dedicate the necessary time to volunteering, do not give your availability. You will create problems for other volunteers when you stop showing up or show up infrequently. Furthermore, your absence at important moments could be destructive if you were in charge of something that you cannot do. It is better not to offer than to disappoint someone. It is especially important if you have signed up to take care of people in a nursing home. Older lonely people will quickly depend on your visits and won't understand if you stop going.
Step 2. Decline if you are already too busy volunteering
If you're already on the parental council, making cookies for every charity sale, and helping foreigners learn Italian as well as having your full-time job, you may be starting to pull too hard. Don't feel obligated to do more, even if someone asks you to. Volunteering too much will not be good for you, your family and your colleagues, and it certainly isn't good for the volunteer organization that can't count on you because you have too many commitments. You could explain to the volunteer organization why you can't spend even more time, and remember that you are willing to volunteer in the future when your current commitments are fulfilled. But remember that you don't need any explanations. You can just say "I'm not available".
Step 3. Avoid volunteer activities you are not good at
Don't become a volunteer firefighter if you are afraid of fire and lack the necessary physical skills. Don't become a paramedic if you pass out as soon as you see blood. Don't volunteer at a school if you don't have a good relationship with children. Let other people take on the roles you are not suitable for. Look for roles where you can express your skills. Or let the volunteer organization know what your skills are and let them find the right position for you. You will be much more helpful if you dedicate a few hours to an activity that you are good at rather than spending many hours volunteering on something you can't.
Step 4. Be careful about accepting volunteering "close to your condition"
This means making sure your personal feelings and problems aren't vented into volunteering in a negative way for you. If you have been a victim of abuse and have decided to help other people who have been abused, make sure you have overcome your problems, as you will have to face them again during your volunteer work. You will not want to collapse when faced with a fresh wound. This doesn't mean you shouldn't seek catharsis in addressing your chest problem through volunteering, but it does mean you need to feel strong enough to be able to deal with the negative feelings that will resurface. Good volunteer organizations will tell you about this issue before getting you started.
Step 5. Keep in mind that there are some moments in life when volunteering is not a good choice
While these are fleeting moments, there are some occasions when volunteering will need to be pushed aside while you go about your life. These moments include: death of a family member; examination period; birth of a child; disease (see below); removals. Each of these situations will require all your physical and mental commitment and give you the full right to take care only of your life and that of the family for the necessary period. In time, you will be able to recover or overcome the most difficult time, and you will be ready to help others again. You will have to learn when to let others help you! Conversely, volunteering may in some cases be the only reality that gives you stability when you face a divorce or have lost your job. Carefully evaluate your current physical and emotional energies and compare them with those needed to help others; be honest with yourself before you want to overdo it. You will be a better volunteer if you take the time to get strong again.
Step 6. Avoid volunteering just because a friend is doing it
You will have to be the one who wants to volunteer; a reason like "my friend does it; so I should too" is not the right spirit. Don't hesitate to lend a hand to your friend if you both have a passion for volunteering in question, but if you're only doing it for your friend, you may end up feeling resentful of volunteering and maybe your friend too. Tell an overly enthusiastic friend that you appreciate what they do, but prefer to volunteer otherwise.
Step 7. Don't be coerced or coerced into volunteering
It's not uncommon to be picked up at a meeting you didn't attend, or pushed by people who don't want to fill a role. If you are present on such an occasion, express your refusal loudly. He clearly states that he is too busy, in trouble, etc. to fill that position. If this happens in your absence, write a clear letter in which you are relinquishing the position, briefly explaining your reasons for doing so. Or just say I don't agree. You must want to volunteer, otherwise you could damage your self-esteem and your other commitments.
Step 8. Question organizations that rely too heavily on volunteers
If you think an organization, school or other institution requires too many volunteers, give your opinion and say that this is work that should be done by paid staff. Some entities have a tendency to exploit people's goodwill. Women in particular are under pressure to undertake more volunteer work than they feel able to do. Test your ability to write a letter or talk on the phone and ask the school principal or local municipality why funds for some businesses are so low and ask for consideration to be given to hiring paid staff.
Step 9. Find other ways to help that don't require too much time, energy, finances, or goodwill
If you really want to volunteer, but can't, think of other ways you can help. If you have money but don't have time, donate the money. If you don't have money but you have time, donate your time. If you have neither, donate your messages of goodwill and support. Be creative. Writing a letter to the editors of a local newspaper to tell the good deeds done by others is also a great volunteer exercise, often overlooked by many. Consideration, praise and encouragement for those who volunteer are a very important contribution.
Step 10. Don't put your safety at risk
If you don't feel safe, talk to the person in charge and let them know. For example, if you are asked to frequent slums, at night and alone, ask someone to accompany you. If you are on a construction site without a helmet or gloves, ask for safety equipment. Trust your instincts. If you are denied the security measures you have requested, you have every right to leave.
Step 11. Beware of organizations that ask you to pay to volunteer, especially if you are asked for cash
There are many other worthy organizations that don't ask for any compensation, trust them.
Step 12. If you don't have enough money to make it to the end of the month, you should be the one who should benefit from volunteering
Some people prefer to volunteer than have a job - it's a noble choice, but if you're going to bankrupt your family members because you don't have a job, it would simply be unacceptable.
Advice
- Don't volunteer just to brag or get college credit. Make sure you choose an activity that is rewarding and that you can do well.
- If you want to volunteer, but don't want or can't make a long-term commitment, remember that even one-off or one-off commitments can be a huge help. Donating blood doesn't take long - and you'll feel so much better for helping people who need it.
- If you are in charge of the volunteers, thank them regularly. Don't expect them to settle for occasional praise - remember they don't have to be there, and that their resentment can spread, ending a good working relationship or leading to the dissolution of the organization itself.
- Many volunteer opportunities are seasonal, such as helping to serve Christmas dinner at a homeless shelter, or making school supplies for children in need. If you are really having time problems, you can help once a year.
- Remember that wikiHow is always looking for volunteer editors! Give your contribution!
- Don't avoid volunteering because you don't feel like it. All societies need competent, enthusiastic, helpful and eager volunteers. When you feel able to volunteer, do it right away. You will get a lot out of volunteering, but you can only figure it out by doing it. By offering your time and energy, you will receive security, satisfaction, personal growth, maturation, and perhaps new training and skills in return. Open up to the world, and someday, you may be the one who needs help, and it will be given to you.
Warnings
- Taking your children with you may seem like a good educational opportunity for them. Some workplaces, however, do not allow access to minors for these insurance and safety. Ask your supervisor or coordinator before introducing yourself to your children.
- Don't volunteer if you are sick. You will not help anyone if you infect them. It is especially important if you work in a hospital, or with the elderly, children or people with compromised immune systems (such as those with AIDS).
- Pay attention to the environment. You could be an inviting target for someone who has nothing. Bring a friend with you if you need to hang out in an unfamiliar neighborhood. Leave valuables at home. Don't show fear. You would show weakness and it could be offensive.
- If you are chronically ill, do not volunteer if your illness could get worse due to work. While some people may still complete tasks during an illness (and for some it is a way of dealing with it), if there is a chance that your illness will get worse due to the commitment required by volunteering, give up for now. until you feel better. This applies to many diseases, from cancer to chronic fatigue syndrome. You know yourself best - don't let others convince you that it's better to go out and do something than stay at home. Only volunteer if you are truly convinced that it will not negatively affect your recovery and that you have the energy to do so.
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219341439_8d1a6b9ee4 When you volunteer, personalities of all kinds come into contact. This happens even more than in a workplace, where personalities are limited by the hiring process. For this, you will meet people of all kinds, who have different approaches to doing their job. You will need patience and knowing how to keep your mouth shut. If tempers overheat, let people say what they have to say and always try to compromise. Volunteer organizations need all the help they can get, so it's not worth losing volunteers to conflicts. Treat all your colleagues with respect.
