“Volunteers do not necessarily have the time, they just have the heart”— Elizabeth Andrew
As a beginner to volunteering or as a beginner to a new cause or organization, you will likely be wondering how do I get started? Here is a checklist to get you going:
Ask yourself why do you want to be involved? Write down your answers.
Take some time to determine your interests, your skills and what you have to offer. Your first thought may be that you have nothing to give, but in reality, everyone has something to offer. Do you cook? Ride a bike? Drive a car? Have technical skills? Love to speak? Are curious about things? Like talking with people? Have business skills? Are a good listener? Maybe you love music, can draw or love to read. Write down your special attributes.
The next step is asking yourself what do I care about and/or what am I passionate about? Your answers may include: the outdoors, food, children, Indigenous peoples, the homeless, the elderly, music, a cause or politics. Again, write these down!
Determine who the organizations are that support your passions. Also, who might be able to use your skills and share in your interests. If you are young, ask your parents or a teacher or a friend who they have heard of. There may be opportunities through your faith group. A local community centre may need volunteers or there may be opportunities through your school such as helping with the drama club. Join a service club, or even start your own as many others have done.
Often when you start, it is best to do something easy and close to home. Meet with people in the organization and ask what is expected of you. Ask people who work or volunteer there.
Be realistic about the time you can spend. It’s easy to increase your involvement. Warning: volunteering can be addictive and can consume 48 hours a day if you let it! Having said that, the more you put in, the more you will get out of your volunteering experience. Some researchers suggest the threshold is two hours per week. John Trethewey, a former foster parent with his wife, retired in 2003. Within four years, he was volunteering 1,350 hours/year approximately 2.5 hours a day. He loves it.
Start by volunteering for something that has an end point, for example, an event.
Ideally, try to find something that does not replicate your day job, even though your job skills are what you most have to offer.
Make sure that what you choose is safe, and become aware of the people in the organization.
If you lose faith in the group, or cause — change.
You can create your own future and start your own organization. This is exciting but difficult. If you are passionate, have the drive and perseverance, you can do it. It is often better to start by working with an established organization.
If what you choose does not work out, don’t give up. It may take several tries. Ask yourself what did I get out of it? What were the benefits for others? How could it be better? Is there something else I want to try?
It is possible that volunteering is not for you. If not, there are a lot of other ways to contribute through donating money or just being a kind or thoughtful person.
I leave you with the words of some notable figures.
Sir Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give” and Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the UN said “If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.”
Now is the time to create opportunities—for yourself and others.
Chris Snyder is the winner of many volunteer and community service awards, among them the Paul Harris Fellowship, the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals and the Rotary’s Service-Above-Self Award. In 2018, the same year Creating Opportunities—A Volunteer’s Memoir was published, Chris was awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers. He continues to write a blog, Good News Stories and looks forward to completing his next book.
