Volunteering is a great way to support a cause, support an organization and make a difference in the community. It can also be an opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills. If you would like to give more than just money, consider donating your time and skills to organizations that are important to you. It is an opportunity to provide services.
Steps
Step 1. Think about why you want to volunteer
Do you want to help the world or your community? Do you want to shape your skills, make new friends and learn? Do you love what you do? Do you want to share your talents with others or do you want to give something back? Answering these kinds of questions can help you choose the right direction for your volunteer work.
Step 2. Choose an organization that has meaning for you
If your strong point is literature, for example, volunteer at the local library or check that there is an organization of volunteer tutors in your area. There are organizations for all types of work and it is especially important when volunteering that you choose something that has value for you. There are organizations for all sorts of purposes, so if serving food at a soup kitchen isn't your thing, consider masking at the local theater, building homes, or volunteering at a hospital or animal shelter.
Step 3. Search for an organization or business in your area and community
While some volunteers join Peace Corps or other global organizations and travel to remote parts of the world, you should probably start from the bottom up, especially if you already have other commitments at home. If you are planning to venture abroad to volunteer, get a lot of information on what to expect there and ask your doctor for the appropriate vaccinations at your destination. Talk to others who have traveled with the organization of your choice and also ask them to share their experience.
Step 4. Look for an organization whose objectives are in line with your skills and interests
Of course, you can develop new skills and learn a lot through volunteering but your volunteer work can still be compatible with your interests. If you are a social person, it may not be much fun for you to be in the office writing letters and filling out forms. Others, on the other hand, may find themselves uncomfortable doing door-to-door fundraising. Do you love working with people? With animals? With the children? With numbers? Are you one in hand? Do you love to talk or write? Organizations need all sorts of skills. If you are not sure which job you like and which you don't, a volunteer organization could be a great opportunity to dabble a bit with different things.
Step 5. Start small
If you are already very busy, volunteer for an hour or two a week or maybe a day a month. (Anyone can break free for such a short time. Try turning off the TV!). You would be surprised to find out how much you manage to achieve even in such a short time. Finally, if you find that you like what you are doing and have more time, gradually give it more.
Step 6. Get to know other people in the organizations and learn how the group supports volunteers
Attend an orientation and training session, if available; if not, talk to the leaders of a local group and other community volunteers and ask them about their experiences. You will learn what to expect from an organization and what your job will be for it and you will get some valuable tips to make your work more productive and meaningful.
Step 7. Explain what your experience and preferences are to whoever is responsible
They will be able to help you find suitable and meaningful tasks for you, only if they know a little more about you though.
- Ask, don't expect. The people in charge of organizations, voluntary or otherwise, have different needs to meet and may be busy.
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Especially if you are starting out, consider helping with an immediate task even if it is not entirely compatible with your skills. Work is not always compatible with what people are willing to do. However, you will be helpful to the organization and you could learn new skills or discover something about yourself. The favor you earn may also help you find a more suitable or congenial task next time.
Volunteer Step 8 Step 8. Get started
He asks a lot of questions and research, but until you join the organization and get your hands dirty, you won't know if volunteering for a particular organization is really right for you.
Volunteer Step 9 Step 9. Formats
If an orientation and training program is available in the organization, follow it. If not, or if you still don't know where to start, ask to be able to work with an experienced volunteer or group. So, ask tons of questions and give it a try!
Volunteer Step 10 Step 10. Try not to give up
Even volunteer organizations sometimes have not-so-pleasant tasks, difficult work colleagues, busy times, downtime, or poor administration. If you find your job unpleasant, you can make choices:
- Work anyway. If you feel it needs to be done but it's boring and burdensome, put on some music, break it down into easier-to-handle tasks, take breaks when you need them, and get the job done. Don't forget to find ways to make your task easier and be prepared next time.
- Ask for help. If you are overworked, confused or stuck, ask if there is someone who could come to your aid, even if only to temporarily help you out of a difficulty. Organizations may also have other resources to rely on, from contacts with other organizations to libraries and city halls.
- Solve the problem. If there is something blocking your way, it is probably on everyone's way. Handle it to get more volunteers, more money, better equipment or valuable help. Solve disasters when you see one. Suggest (politely, please!) How things could be better managed or organized. Or, simply bring the problem to the attention of the organization and leaders and ask what can be done.
- Take a break or step back. If you are exhausted, you may not be doing good for yourself or for others. Wouldn't it be better for everyone if I came back with more energy later?
- Ask to be able to do more. If you think you could be of more help to the organization by doing something that is more in line with your talents or skills, communicate it or let the leaders of the organization know which tasks you could contribute more to.
- Look for another organization or sector of employment. If you have tried with all your diplomatic skills but still have difficulty with your homework or the people you work with, leave politely and look for something else. Poor administration or distribution of tasks can also occur in a volunteer organization.
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Start your own organization or be a freelance volunteer. Remember, however, that you may be alone in providing the money and skills that an organization may already have employed.
Volunteer Step 11 Step 11. Enjoy
You will achieve more if you love what you do and your enthusiasm is likely to infect others as well.
Advice
- If you are asked to manage other volunteers, remember that they are volunteers and that their only compensation for the time spent is the gratification they gain from being helpful. Follow the example of others. Suggest, guide, advise and organize. Rather than dictating and demanding, aim to serve your team by eliminating obstacles along the way.
- If you are offered a leadership position and are appointed as the boss, carefully consider whether that is what you want. If what you love in an organization is the work in the trenches, meetings and budget management could prove to be a burden and an additional use of time. On the other hand, if you think you can contribute to better management of the organization, give it a try.
- Volunteer organizations also have hierarchies in which volunteers have to work their way up. If you think you might like to volunteer when you are retired, for example, consider starting small and building your own record of your goals and contacts within the organization.
- Don't forget that Wikihow also needs volunteers! Share your experience by writing or improving an article or simply correcting a mistake. You can start here
Warnings
- Try to get pressure from volunteering and working too hard. If it stops being rewarding and becomes a burden, step back or take a break.
- Don't be a fanatic. The enthusiasm for your organization or your cause is fantastic but moderate it so that you don't become exhausted. Also remember that others may not be as caught up in the same cause as you.
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Showin 'Off Our Masks 9316 Pay attention to the safety rules and don't be shy about asking to be trained.
