Education/training
Volunteering is a win-win situation for job seekersLess than one year ago, I walked into the national office for World Youth Day, introduced myself, and announced that I was about to become their most persistent and, perhaps, annoying volunteer. GILLIAN GIRODAT |
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 [ 2002-05-29 ] |
Pauline Hutchings, volunteer, GTTA.
"Nonsense," I was told. "Volunteers are our most valuable unpaid resource."
With all the work to be done over the course of a year in preparation for the coming of Pope John Paul II's visit to Toronto and, with him, hundreds of thousands of youth from around the world, all hands would be gladly welcomed and put to good use.
The director of volunteers ushered me and my resume into a small boardroom to discuss where my skills would be best utilized.
But, I explained, I am 100% in support of this project and quite willing to do anything.
"I'll stuff envelopes," I said.
"Nonsense," I was told (again). "Volunteers come here with education but leave here with skill sets and work experience that guarantee jobs."
Relatively new to volunteerism, I was struck by the passion and certainty with which he spoke.
But to the 6.5 million Canadians who put aside paid hours to help where help is needed, the enthusiasm of volunteer-run organizations to both assist and accommodate the people working for them is not a surprise.
The philanthropic "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" theory is well attested to in the National Survey of Volunteering, Giving, and Participating 2000.
According to the survey, released by Statistics Canada, the highest numbers of volunteers are persons employed part-time (33%) and those with a university degree (39%) looking to gain valuable employment skills and increase their chance of success in the workplace.
In Toronto, there are hundreds of service agencies and community organizations willing to accept aid from volunteers. For young graduates and career-seeking individuals, this translates into countless hours of opportunity and experience.
Drawing from a bank of seniors, university students and new Canadians, Canadian Blood Services (CBS) looks to its volunteers to organize and assist at blood-donor clinic sites and recruit donors, as well as be donors themselves.
Paula Arscott, clinic recruitment co-ordinator for CBS, says volunteers also play an important role as ambassadors for the organization.
"Volunteers provide an important link to the community by promoting clinics to their neighbours and providing a warm welcome to donors," she said. "It is the responsibility of the volunteers to work with the staff to provide a pleasant donation experience for the donors -- one that will make them want to return."
Incentives for the returning volunteer include experience, organizational skills and positions of leadership. On-going training for volunteers allows them to work closely with clinic staff and they are regarded as part of the team.
"But the greatest incentive," Arscott said, "is the knowledge that they are helping to save lives."
In fact, while many Canadians may volunteer to help themselves advance in the job market, there is no denying the impact volunteerism has on community.
The Greater Toronto Tenants' Association (GTTA) is testament to that: the not-for-profit organization relies on its community of volunteers to advance its cause of tenants' rights through organizing, education, lobbying, and advocacy, as well as to perpetuate a larger network of volunteers.
Pauline Hutchings was once an attendee at a meeting in her apartment building, looking for more information when faced with an above-guideline rental adjustment. Today, she has been a volunteer with the GTTA (rentersnews.net) for three years, putting in 10 to 12 hours per week, after she comes home from her full-time job.
"We (volunteers) start out wanting to save the world," Hutchings said, "and that just might be by doing something practical that will help out someone's existence."
Reliant solely on volunteers (even the president of the association is a volunteer), the GTTA knows the difference even one or two hours can make, turning tenants of a building into a community of volunteers willing to distribute flyers, chair meetings, and organize peaceful protests and information sessions.
"We may never be a big, well-financed organization," said GTTA president Paul York, "but we will continue to be volunteer activists."
Less than a year after I became a volunteer for World Youth Day, I now work full-time for the organization. I revel in the opportunity to put my education and skills behind a project I believe in and support.
The irony of my job isn't lost on me -- I co-ordinate and train volunteers for special events that will happen throughout the GTA during World Youth Day. And now that my role is reversed, I understand the director's insistence that a volunteer's time and skills be used wisely.
The benefits for both the organization and the individual far outweigh the poundage of envelopes I could have stuffed and sealed in an entire year.
Seven Volunteering Tips
1. Choose Wisely -- There are hundreds of agencies, companies, and organizations looking for volunteers (find these online, in the phone book, or from a friend). Choose a cause that you believe in and work toward that greater goal!
2. Be Indispensable -- Not all jobs are going to be glamorous, but let your creativity and energy shine through in even the menial tasks and you'll be given thanks and more responsibility.
3. Try New Things -- That's how the best experiences and adventures get started.
4. Voice Concerns -- Clear up any problems you may have by speaking with your supervisor or volunteer co-ordinator.
5. Know Your Limits -- Don't over-extend or exhaust yourself. Trying to give more than you've got won't help anyone.
6. Set Goals -- Know what your objectives are for your volunteering experience and work to achieve them.
7. Ask Them to Help You -- If you need anything from a reference letter to added responsibility, don't be afraid to ask. Chances are, the organization is as willing to help you as you are to help them.
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