I’m Thankful for…Volunteering!

• Posted on Carolyn
• in Volunteerism
• on November 24, 2013
• 1 Comment.

It’s November and many thoughts (and blogs) are turning to ways to be thankful.  While I am thankful for my wonderful family and friends, for living near the beach, changing seasons, crackling fires and Mickey Mouse – I wanted to focus this blog on being thankful for volunteering.

I have personally found that involvement is so rewarding – you get back more than you can give.  Whether volunteering on an association committee, my local PTO, or a local neighborhood group, the time & energy I invest have come back to me tenfold, through connections made, business received, skills learned and hearts touched.

Through volunteering at our local elementary school, I was able to interact with some of my childrens’ teachers and offer learning experiences that were outside the regular curriculum.  As a member of a PTO committee, I could apply my organizational abilities while at the same time learn new skills about financial management.  In my professional association, I learned how to work on a board of directors, to manage volunteer teams and discovered a great deal about myself and my leadership style in the process.

As a volunteer you can hone existing skills and learn new ones – valuable skills that you can use in your current job and in future employment.  For those of you that are underemployed now – being involved can help save your sanity (I’ve been there) and help you broaden your network.

Concerned that time is an issue?  Most organizations will take as much (or as little) time as you can give.  If you only have one hour a month available, that’s fine.  If you are project-oriented and can devote several hours over a short amount of time – there’s a fit for that.  Committee members, board members or the executive team – there’s a spot for everyone.  You just need to decide what you want to do, how much time you can give and commit to doing it.  Starting small is a good way to begin.  Can you put up flyers for a local event?  Help make a meal at a local soup kitchen?  Make a few calls to solicit donations?  Once you start, it’s hard to stop (take it from one who’s been there!).  You learn so much about yourself and others and you realize you can make a difference.

Volunteering adds depth to your life, your resume, your network.  Find one thing (or two or three) that you are interested in personally or professionally and raise your hand.  You’ll be thankful you did.