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Maybe not the thread for this, but I occasionally post a thread here and elsewhere about retirees doing long-term volunteering in Africa or Asia and get little or no response. I really do wonder why.
I was not the volunteer but the accompanying partner when my husband volunteered to train teachers in a country in Africa. The most exciting adventure and most rewarding two years of my life.
Anybody thought about it? Put your valuables in storage, rent out your house, use your pensions to supplement your volunteer's allowance and have a great time!
Location: Prescott Valley,az summer/east valley Az winter
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Really never dawned on me I was "volunteering" When I ran the bridge group in my last 55+ community, or when I taught bridge to the seniors in any of my retirement communities. Guess I was just trying to promote the game I loved. Also when I taught other games here in Colorado so there was more organized games for my enjoyment. If those are in fact volunteering then when I have classes going about 10 hours a week for a couple months. Otherwise only when a friend needs a ride, or someone needs their hedge trimmed and cannot do it for themselves. Tend not to do too much organized volunteering.
Really never dawned on me I was "volunteering" When I ran the bridge group in my last 55+ community, or when I taught bridge to the seniors in any of my retirement communities. Guess I was just trying to promote the game I loved. Also when I taught other games here in Colorado so there was more organized games for my enjoyment. If those are in fact volunteering then when I have classes going about 10 hours a week for a couple months. Otherwise only when a friend needs a ride, or someone needs their hedge trimmed and cannot do it for themselves. Tend not to do too much organized volunteering.
Same with me. I don't count the group I lead as volunteering.
If you are asking then maybe you are feeling that you are doing too much time. Cut back for a set period and then re-evaluate.
I can see that my attempt to be brief resulted only in my being unclear, and I apologize for that lack of clarity. The days and hours I listed represent an expansion for the new school year which just started a week and a half ago. That expansion was requested by me because of the immense enjoyment I got out of my participation during the previous school year. Now I'll do that schedule for a school year and find out if it seems a bit much, and if so I can cut back. Somehow I believe it's going to be just right, as I am really looking forward to the new, expanded schedule.
None and proud of it!! I volunteered back in the early 90s for my son's private school. I stuffed envelopes while the paid clerical help snarked in the background, "Must be nice to have enough money where you can volunteer instead of getting a paying job." I reported them to the headmaster and never went back. I also used to volunteer for Red Cross but when I found out Elizabeth Dole was making $200,000/year, I said... screw it. My volunteer work these days is on a smaller scale. If a neighbor or friend is in need then I am there. I like personally knowing the recipient of my labors, it'ssweeter that way.
I can relate to what you wrote, and what you're talking about is the reason I like what I am doing in the schools so much. I can read the reaction to me in the student's faces - their enthusiasm and their interest - so in one sense the pay-off is immediate. In another sense the pay-off is delayed and comes when parents seek me out to say I have made an impact and when I read the students' thank-you notes at the end of the year, many of which go beyond the pro-forma.
Who could blame you for getting turned off in the two situations you described? The reaction of the clerical help at your son's school boggles the mind; instead of being grateful for your generous help they were just jealous of the apparent fact that you were better off financially than they were. Those were some small-minded people indeed!
I like what ipoetry and Escort Rider pointed out. I used to be heavily volunteered with one organization in my area. Then I started working my way up so to speak, being tasked to lead more and more events. And just saw things that went against what I consider the spirit of volunteering. It seemed to become all about how much fund-raising dollars you can accumulate than providing a service to less fortunate.
I've taken a step back and am more involved with small things at a local level. Now I would say I volunteer 8 - 12 hours a week while working full-time. But I also have a job with weird hours in that 50% of the time I only work 3 days a week.
NO hours. I do not give away my labor for free.
If it's worth doing, it's worth being paid for. Your milage may vary.
I used to work for money. I needed the money.
Now that I don't need money, I see it differently: if it's important enough to do, it's important enough to do without pay. (However, DH does hope that my volunteer work will lead to paid work.)
My feeling is about 20-30hr or so a week, but would look to organizations that value my time, have planed useful and organized thing for me to do, Not just busywork. Or clueless project that don't seem to be well thought out.
Also they need to value me as a volunteer, when they start to treat you like a employee, it time to leave.
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