5 crucial things to know when volunteering
JOBURG – Volunteer this December and make the festive season a little brighter for other people in your community.
It’s official, the festive season is upon us and with this time of year, it is important to remember that the biggest gift – is giving.
Celebrated globally for over 30 years, International Volunteer Day (5 December) seeks to celebrate the power and potential of volunteering. There are multiple ways you can volunteer your time and at various different locations.
Whether animals, people, or the environment are your thing, share the love this December with those that need it.
Here are a few things you need to keep in mind:
1. Volunteering is a great strategic move in life
Volunteering and social engagement programmes give people the opportunity to grow their participation in their society, and consequently to boost their sense of well-being. Why is this important? Because happy, engaged people make great, motivated members of the community.
2. Listen (very) carefully
You need to speak to the people who understand this in fine-grained detail, and fully explore their experiences, knowledge and challenges, before you bring any of your ideas to the table. First you need, in other words, to listen.
3. You can have immediate impact
You would be amazed at what you can do to help an organisation. You have access to skills and resources in many areas of the organisation you’re working with doesn’t. With this in mind, you are able to help them achieve more and maintain their organisations.
Something that is massively complex and/or expensive to an NGO (like painting their building, for example) might be within easy reach for you. If you take a humble, listening approach to volunteering, you can easily have an impact, regardless of how much time and money you are able to contribute.
4. Aim for building relationships
This is real life. This is people doing important things for their communities, often at enormous personal sacrifice. Don’t make the mistake of flashing big promises, only to drift away because you’re too busy, you’ve lost interest, or you’ve found another organisation you think needs help.
5. Clarity controls expectations
Strive to be clear about everything you do and talk about – especially all verbal agreements. Send follow up emails (where possible, or relevant) after formal and informal meetings that summarise what you’ve just agreed on. This approach creates valuable space for detailed discussions of things that often get lost in translation.
