If You Volunteer, What Do You Actually Do?

[brightdoglover]

Originally Posted by volosong

I've added a new volunteering experience to my days. Have started working with the local Sea Cadet program. It seems like a good fit for my interests, abilities, experiences and passions. Going through the approval process now.

What does the Sea Cadet program do, and what will your part be? It sounds like an ideal fit from your description of its congruence for you.

[Ellwood]

I take my golden retriever (certified therapy dog) to schools to "read" with kids with disabilities. She also has made home visits and nursing home visits to elderly shut-ins. I volunteer working a various jobs at the Senior Center (front desk, office work, driving van) and type transcriptions of civil war diaries for the military museum.

[cruitr]

My wife and I volunteer at charity events where the charity is something we care about. We look at ourselves as 'project volunteers.'

We do not do full-time or part-time volunteer work. If it looks like or smells like a job, someone should be getting paid to do the job.

[Vision67]

I've worked in the local soup kitchen chopping vegetables for the homeless. I prefer doing that to working the line that distributes the food.

When I worked the line, I found myself wanting to show the folks how to get a job. They didn't want to hear that.

The best part of the job was meeting fellow volunteers who came from all social classes. Once you get to work with and know them, you'll discover that they are good folks.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

What does the Sea Cadet program do, and what will your part be? It sounds like an ideal fit from your description of its congruence for you.

Best analogy is to think of it as a Boy Scout program, but sponsored by the Navy League and they do Navy stuff instead of camping-type stuff. Girls are part of the program too. They even wear Navy uniforms, albeit slightly modified with Sea Cadet badges. They use a Navy base for their monthly drills and if the Marine Reserves are drilling on the same weekend, they sometimes salute the Sea Cadet officers, (dumb Marines, they don't have to do that).

At first, I'll be an Instructor, and mentor to the youngsters. After a year, I'll become an Ensign and have a billet in some capacity. I'll even be able to wear my old Navy medals/ribbons at official functions. Awaiting two more letters of recommendation before my package can be forwarded to the national office for the background check and approval. I need to find my immunization records also.

It's a good program. Yesterday, at drill weekend, I was able to sit in on one-on-one personal review meetings where the commanding officer and executive officer met with each cadet. These are good kids! They got their heads on straight and will become good, productive members of society when they enter adulthood. I wish I had started working with them decades ago.

U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I'm in the process of going through background checks for a local library's ESL Conversational English Club, as a volunteer. All I have to do is show up once a week for 1 1/2 hours and simply talk to immigrants so they can practice their English speaking skills.

I also signed up to help clean the library last week. If you have any fines, you can also get them removed if you sign up for the "service day." It was fun.

I've tried other volunteer opportunities and they didn't all work out. So, don't give up the ghost if they don't all pan out. I have probably tried 6 to find 1 that fit.

I did also enjoy helping a local food bank in the last town I lived in, where I just picked up pizzas at a local pizza restaurant where someone ordered one the night before and never picked it up. So, I'd pick those up the next morning to take to the food bank.

The unfortunate thing that happened at that food bank is that one of their volunteers decided it was their mission in life to convert me to their religion. I wasn't interested in the religious mission of their food bank, but wanted to do good. Unfortunately, she wouldn't leave me be, so I had to quit.

This can happen, but it doesn't mean you should stop looking for a good fit. I like what I'm doing now, and am glad I didn't stop trying to find something I enjoyed. That said, I also gave myself time to reconsider trying to find another volunteer opportunity for nearly a year before trying again. So, I'd just say if it doesn't work out and you have a bad experience, there's nothing wrong with giving up the idea for a while - then trying again when you're up to it.