national volunteer week

this week is national volunteer week, which is great, but let me tell you my beef about volunteering.

i'll start this off by saying that i do volunteer. i was brought up canvassing for a different charity every month, with parents coaching our sports teams and sitting on boards at the local sports centre, and helping out with local politics. and now that i'm older i still volunteer, though in different capacities, but that is to be expected.

my beef with volunteering is that so often it costs you not only your time but your money AND so often they turn people away for lack of skills or knowledge. while i understand volunteering and charities are entities in themselves and need funding and the support of many many people, this just doesn't seem right. has it always been this way?

i suppose you could argue that the people who donate to causes are volunteering some of their money when they can't afford to volunteer their time. but the fact is that to volunteer often requires some money from the volunteer. you have to pay money in order to miss work and take a cut on your paycheque (unless you are fortunate enough to work for an organization who will allow you one day a year to volunteer) in order to volunteer your services.

let's go back to those employees who are allowed a full day every year for volunteering. i wonder how many of those people actually volunteer that day. i'm sure most take the day as a day off. their employer is NOT allowed to ask.

they say that people take a lot away from volunteering experiences, at least that's what the email i received today at work told me.

"Volunteers share their dedication, energy and skills, and, in return, they benefit from shared cultural and social experiences. Many volunteers gain important interpersonal, communication and employment-related skills from their volunteer experience, as well as personal reward from making a difference in the lives of fellow citizens."

in conclusion, i will continue to volunteer in ways that are tangible for me and don't cost too much money. i hope you too can find something that you can do to help someone else, but if you have to stick to holding doors open for people and picking up the random piece of litter GOOD ON YOU. every little bit helps.