|
Invite Others to
Volunteer
By
Joan E. Thompson |
What is it that
gets a volunteer started? It’s not only “altruism,” which
often gets the credit. Sometimes it is pure “situational.”
Someone asks for help.
I met a volunteer last week who admitted to me that she went
most reluctantly into her first “volunteer assignment”
nearly 30 years earlier. She was a shy mother, happiest at
home looking after her husband and young son. Although she
and her husband were of different faiths, one Sunday morning
he begged her to come to his church and teach Sunday school
to fill in for a missing teacher. She was terrified - she
couldn’t imagine “teaching” anyone, especially an entire
class of children just a little older than her son. She
tried desperately to decline the request. But her husband
persevered and she relented.
She learned early on to watch the teacher next door and the
activities she used to illustrate the bible lessons. The
activities provided engaging hands-on tasks for the
youngsters. Ten years later, she was not only still teaching
the class, but had acquired the ability to stand proudly in
front of the congregation when it was Sunday School
Graduation - and all the teachers were thanked for sharing
their times and talents. Today, this formerly reluctant
volunteer seeks opportunities every day to be helpful and
serve where ever she is needed.
In the 2001 report, “Giving & Volunteering in the United
States,” by Independent Sector, their national survey
identified 71% of our nation’s volunteers are active because
they “were asked,” 29% volunteered without being asked. Just
imagine how many more folks might be active volunteers - if
only they were asked.
If you’re fortunate enough to have found one or more
volunteer roles you love, share it with someone else, invite
them to join you in the activity. No telling what lifelong
change you will trigger. |
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.
|
|
