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Who here volunteers?

proteanmix

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I'm curious to know who here has done any long-term, continuous volunteer work and what your experiences are. How did you choose your area to volunteer in? Did you have prior training or did they train you? Are there any good volunteering websites you can recommend?

I've basically confined my searching to idealist.org and I'm kind of mad because I'm finding a lot of organizations I'm interested in make it difficult to volunteer, and these aren't orgs that require specialized training like disaster relief or medical skills. When I say difficult I mean they want you to write essays, writing samples, and letters of recommendation (sometimes a min. of three!). I'm willing to turn in my resume, submit to a background check/drug testing, give references, and go through training but that other stuff makes it feel like more of a chore.

Maybe they're trying to find really dedicated people and use those measures as a screen, but the process is too labor intensive. Although you want high quality volunteers it shouldn't be so difficult that capable people are turned away because they didn't turn in a writing sample to sort clothes or go canvassing.

Yeah, I mad. I was rejected for something because I didn't turn in a writing sample.:steam:
 

proteanmix

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I have a friend who did CASA and she says it was a worthwhile experience.

Proof of car insurance is no biggie and getting sworn in sounds fun.

Tracking down people for letters of recommendation is a pain. I mean I could just get my friends to write some or write them myself and have someone else sign it, but I think that's dishonest.
 

disregard

mrs
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Ah. I'm not much of a networker yet that seems like an easy task for me. For as many people I send running for the hills, I've got ones shouting my praise to anyone that will listen.

I'm a polarising individual.
 

kiddykat

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I volunteer for an organization helping homeless families transition back into society/into the workforce.

Check out: VolunteerMatch.com. I really like that site. Most places on there didn't make it difficult to apply/join.

It's frustrating when 'volunteer work' starts to feel like 'work' when submitting a resume/cover letter is required, isn't it? It''s like crawiling on hands and knees just to be of help. Ridiculous.
 

EJCC

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I used to volunteer quite a bit, but it was mostly within my comfort zone. I spent two or three years volunteering at my local library, shelving in the A/V section. I also had family connections to Habitat for Humanity for a while, and would volunteer there, doing whatever needed to be done, around the office or at the job site. I took a service trip to L.A. last month to volunteer for various organizations that help the homeless in the Hollywood area.

My basis for where to volunteer is pretty basic (and selfish, honestly): I look around, and whatever intrigues me, strikes my interest, or makes me go "Hey, that sounds fun!" is what I choose to do. Also, if anyone (esp. friends or family) suggests something to me, or asks me to volunteer somewhere, I'm pretty likely to do it.
 

BRMC117

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I am a Volunteer Firefighter, that was what my INFP "calling" put me at. I love it! I have so much fun and I really feel like I am helping and giving back.
 
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I was an Assistant Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts for ten years. Admittedly, it was seamless and easy for me because I had been a Boy Scout and just became a leader when I turned 18. But I really got a lot out of it and learned how to deal with different types of people.

I am not the outgoing type and probably wouldn't volunteer unless it fell in my lap like this did. Something strikes me as very presumptuous about the way the organizations you have looked into recruit. Someone who is willing to volunteer shouldn't be subject to so much...they should just say "thank you" and then if you prove to be unreliable or excessively weird they can push you out.
 

neptunesnet

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I used to volunteer quite a bit, but it was mostly within my comfort zone. I spent two or three years volunteering at my local library, shelving in the A/V section. I also had family connections to Habitat for Humanity for a while, and would volunteer there, doing whatever needed to be done, around the office or at the job site. I took a service trip to L.A. last month to volunteer for various organizations that help the homeless in the Hollywood area.

Same here.

I usually volunteer for festivals, at the local library, soup kitchen sometimes, humane shelter, galleries, with churchs, our symphony league, the museum, etc. I very rarely if ever work with organizations. In high school, I applied to do volunteer work at a hospital and I needed two quick recommendations that only required filling out a couple of forms and a signature. That was all. Local community service is much more easy to participate in than working with larger organizations.

I've never worked directly with one, and I'm really sad that you're having so many problems with that.

*shakes head in disgust*
 

speculative

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I've basically confined my searching to idealist.org and I'm kind of mad because I'm finding a lot of organizations I'm interested in make it difficult to volunteer, and these aren't orgs that require specialized training like disaster relief or medical skills. When I say difficult I mean they want you to write essays, writing samples, and letters of recommendation (sometimes a min. of three!). I'm willing to turn in my resume, submit to a background check/drug testing, give references, and go through training but that other stuff makes it feel like more of a chore.

I sensed this also, but haven't run into it yet. But my experience is very limited. I think that with 15 million + people unemployed and possibly volunteering, they really have their pick of the litter. Also, like everything else in the universe, litigation avoidance is the grease that squeaks the wheel. I did some basic math (meaning, I used my Fi for about 5 seconds) and realized that everyone's cost of living and doing business would be about 5% of what it is currently with a healthy dose of tort reform...

Sorry if that was veering a bit OT. I volunteer at a historical society/museum a few hours a week. I'm still thinking about volunteering at the humane society, or through my church. Also, I attended campaign school and I might volunteer to work on some local political campaigns...
 

miss fortune

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:hi:

I occasionally volunteer to teach ESL at a local community center... I did it regularly while in college :)
 

KDude

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I used to volunteer quite a bit, but it was mostly within my comfort zone. I spent two or three years volunteering at my local library, shelving in the A/V section. I also had family connections to Habitat for Humanity for a while, and would volunteer there, doing whatever needed to be done, around the office or at the job site. I took a service trip to L.A. last month to volunteer for various organizations that help the homeless in the Hollywood area.


I should try the library, or Habitat. I wouldn't mind volunteering again... I used to, but it was unpleasant (nightshift @ local homeless shelter.. and another charity that helped employ people in unfortunate cases.. in both jobs i dealt with too much aggression and belligerence). Not even sure how I did it.. I think those jobs were oddly suited to old people or something. No one ever messed with them.:)
 

Siúil a Rúin

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I've volunteered for pet rescue organizations. There was never any paperwork or red-tape to get involved.

I used to volunteer at a hospital and that wasn't too complicated. You go to a one afternoon training session, and fill out a few forms, get a TB test, had my record of shots/vaccinations sent over, and fingerprinting with a background check. Okay, so now that I think about it, it was a little complicated, but no testing in terms of writing and such.
 

Charmed Justice

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I've consistently volunteered for a number of organizations through the years(CASA, Boys and Girls Club, and Habitat). I also instructed adult literacy courses, which was one of the most life changing experiences I've had to date. I'm on the volunteer committee in my neighborhood and we do a number of neighborhood-wide and local activities mainly geared towards assisting the elderly. I prefer to work with young children and the elderly; involving myself in activities that will help to empower them towards making transformative changes for the future.
 

Tallulah

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I used to volunteer regularly at my local animal shelter, helping pets get adopted. Since I had some grooming experience that comes mainly from having a Shih Tzu, I became the person that groomed some of the animals to be more appealing on adoption day. Some of them had been running the streets and were filthy and matted fur, etc. Sprucing them up helped them not to be overlooked.

I moved to a new place and haven't done anything here, but I've been thinking I want to get into volunteering with animals again. I miss it.
 

Salomé

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Me, me, me!! ;)

I never had to do anything other than show up - even when the work involved children (e.g. riding for the disabled, creating child-friendly gardens at children's homes) which I always found odd because I've had to be vetted and sign the Official Secrets Act just to work with data about children (e.g. social services systems).

Funny old world.
 

gromit

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I used to tutor a high school student but then she stopped needing it and I was feeling really burned out from the ~2 hr round trip train ride to get to the tutoring center... I am thinking of just going to a nursing home that is around the corner and reading or playing cards with people there.
 
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