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Volunteers Are
Valuable Eyes And Ears For Improved Services
By
Joan E. Thompson |
Plymouth — Just as the seasons change, so do we.
At the beginning of each New Year, we often think about what
we want to change in ourselves or our lives. Or maybe what
we want to do that will improve the lives of others. We call
those intentions “New Year Resolutions.” They help us
visualize what can be better about our own lives and those
for whom we care. It also affirms that no matter how things
are, they can always be better.
Taking the time to think about How is a more challenging
matter.
If I believe I need to lose weight, I may resolve to do so.
But not considering How may make it impossible to
accomplish. If I apply the ABCs of Change (Attitude,
Behavior, Condition, Situation, Knowledge, Skills, Values or
Beliefs) to the situation, I am likely to draw up a specific
plan of action — more likely to succeed. If my Knowledge
about the importance of exercise in weight control tells me
I’m too sedentary, I may decide to change one Behavior to
deal with it: park my car at least 500 feet from my final
destination, at least once a week, 2-3 times a week, or
every day. If my Attitude reinforces my Belief that I can do
it, I may look for increasing opportunities to walk more. As
I walk more, I get better and better (Skilled) at creating
opportunities to walk. Every time I walk, I am changing my
Situation from what I’d do otherwise to physically walking.
The more of the seven change-elements I build into my
Resolution, the greater the chance for sustaining my new
habit of walking — and losing weight.
Volunteers change the situation for themselves as well as
for others every time they help. Thinking through the How
question is as worthwhile for every volunteer as it is for
anyone making a New Year Resolution.
Suppose I volunteer to deliver meals to homebound elders
because I’m afraid they might not fix something to eat for
themselves. But when I return to a client and ask them how
their previous meal was, I learn they didn’t eat it. Weren’t
they hungry? Didn’t they like what was on the tray? Do they
plan to eat the meal I’ve brought today? Why? My delivering
their meal may bring in the only person to talk to them all
day. The most important thing they receive from me may not
be the meal at all; it may be giving them a face to talk to.
If most of the people I’m taking meals to tell me that, then
maybe a valuable service for these clients would be a
friendly visitor — who either accompanies their meal, or
comes at a different day and time altogether. Collecting the
kind of information that informs a senior center on needed
new programs is often best retrieved by existing volunteers.
The next time you meet with your volunteer supervisor, ask
them what kind of data they use to improve their services.
You could be the best means to gather it and help change the
lives of your clients for the better!
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About The Author
Joan Thompson is the Executive Director for Mayflower RSVP,
Inc., a non-profit organization mobilizing Volunteer Service
Activities in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. She has
directed RSVP’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program for
nearly 30 years, working with 200 public/private, health,
human service, and educational organizations to provide
meaningful volunteer service opportunities for members in
the RSVP program. She is a trainer in Volunteer Systems
Management for local and national organizations and a member
of AVA, the International Association for Volunteer
Administration. She may be contacted at RSVP’s Plymouth
County headquarters, (508) 746-7787 or MayflowerRSVP@Verizon.net.
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