Submitted by John Robertson, Residential Resource Manager,
Capital City Youth Services, Tallahassee, FL
On service and motivations: Managing volunteers at a runaway shelter,
I deal with a service organization comprised of .primarily single,
young professionals. Their program is called Service Made Simple.
The cornerstone of their program is to make volunteer service easy
and hassle free for the busy and otherwise, unavailable professional.
I have conflicts when they realize that training and accountability
occur on site and service is not always as simple as it sounds. I
believe their organization functions as a networking club for singles
and working with youth has a certain charm that "sells". I find that
once they begin to visit, they either feel the true call or "get their
fix and move on".
Submitted by Karen Knaub, Director of Volunteer Services, Sedgwick
Co. Zoo, Wichita, Kansas
I have another topic to add to the fire - inmates as volunteers.
About a year and a half ago we began a cooperative venture with a
minimal security correctional facility located about forty-five minutes
south of Wichita. Four days per week we have the aid of seven minimal
security inmates. They are not violent offenders and most are on their
way out of the correction system. Inmates are screened for the skills
we specify before they are sent to work with us. Zoo staff supervising
inmates attend a three day training by correctional officers at their
facility. Inmates are assigned only to non-public areas. Needless
to say, this program was not an easy sell. Low cost, consistent availability
of a labor force and good experiences with other city and county agencies
were the positive points. There were many "what if" and
worse-case scenarios. I spent about a year getting the program up
and going. Some say it is the best thing we ever did. Others will
never love it, although they have learned to live with it. Their accomplishments
have outlasted any criticism. But do they belong under the roof of
the volunteer department? Anyone out there have a reaction? Questions?
I'd like to know.
Submitted by Jane Styles, Manager, Volunteer Development, Alberta/NWT
Division, Canadian Diabetes Association, Alberta, Canada
In response to Ontario, Canada's comment that volunteering
has become a prerequisite for completing a high school diploma, two
things come to mind. First, how many high school students will be
volunteering for the "right" reason? There are many good
reasons why people volunteer but if getting their diploma is their
only motivation, then that is not good enough. There must be buy-in
with the organization students are volunteering for. Second, I can
see that this sort of initiative can be a win-win situation provided
teachers and students are taught/trained why volunteering is a noble
act and what they will get out of it with the right attitude. Volunteer
sector management may need to take the lead on educating their local
school boards.
Submitted by Laura Slater, Program Director/ ESPM, ND
I am responding to your welfare reform Volunteer article- I am
from North Dakota and work in a non profit. I have been on Welfare
too. I think that allowing volunteer service for welfare benefits
is a win win situation for both parties if the state allows it and
the volunteer station allows the welfare worker to expand their horizons.
We are a rural community and there are not a lot of jobs outside
the restaurant industry. Our wages are still very low and welfare
people do not make enough to support their families on part time work
with no benefits. Into this picture you add many community service
workers needing hours as well. The problem I see here is we have this
pool of workers that most nonprofits want as janitors and slaves.
Allow them to act as customer service reps for your agency. Allow
them to file folders, make databases, write letters, do jobs on the
computer or in the agency that can help them gain skills to find a
decent job. Many of these workers are very EAGER to learn and get
off the system
Submitted by Lesley Dunn, Executive Director, Volunteer Resource
Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Halifax, Nova Scotia hosted, in conjunction with Volunteer Canada,
a focus group addressing the issues relating to IYV in Canada. This
was continued five times across our country, followed up with a telephone
interview with key stakeholders in each province and then a large
group meeting in April.
The results of the focus groups and telephone interviews were astonishingly
similar. Although the year should recognize effort and contribution,
it was strongly felt the voluntary sector should receive as one of
the outcomes for this year recognition for being a key player in social
reform and for the contributions of unpaid service to the GDP. It
was further suggested that the year focus on professional development
for those working in the field.
In an attempt to expand the view points, the Volunteer Resource Centre
in Halifax is looking to hold ten additional focus groups across the
province to ensure we receive direction from all demographic and geographic
areas. The feedback from these sessions will be presented to our Provincial
Government as target objectives for the year. We feel it is critical
for us to take the lead in the development of activities for 2001
to ensure the year results in a legacy and not an abstract memory.
Submitted by Elizabeth Lowenger, Volunteer Services Coordinator,
CLSC Rene-Cassin, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Lately I have heard so much about organizations trying to market
to the black hole of volunteering, namely to recruit the 40 - 55 year
olds. These are people who are either working or raising a family
and may even be taking care of aging parents. What would attract them
to volunteer ... what are their patterns of volunteerism? What do
you think???
Submitted by Elizabeth Ellis, Face to Face Health and Counseling
Service. Inc., President , St. Paul Area DOVIA, Minnesota, USA
The growing trend of "community service" for High School
graduation requirements is a hot and passionate topic for me and others.
As both a Director of Volunteer Services receiving calls from youth
seeking volunteer positions and a mother of 5 teenagers looking for
"things to do", I have experienced what is lacking on both
ends of the spectrum regarding expectations, guidelines, training,
and benefits of youth volunteerism.
Students are not being "educated" as to why they should
be excited about the opportunities which tie into learning while volunteering,
how they should look for a position, and usually they do not
know where or who to call. How many Volunteer Service Directors get
the expected call of, "Hello, I'm a student and need to complete
40 hours of volunteer time by tomorrow. Do you have anything for me
to do?".
Why not emulate the college internship guidelines and expectations
with high school students. Students could take an interest survey
at the beginning of their freshman year to determine their career
interests. By sophomore year, they could be required to research five
career areas and determine the education, income and fields each area
would lead to. Junior year, interview two of the five career areas
for potential volunteer positions; learning of the environment, expectations,
roles people play, what their career paths lead them to. Senior year,
pick a location where they could commit a specific amount of time
(for credit), to volunteer in their specific area.
It would help Volunteer Managers to know when this required volunteering
was going to take place. It seems to happen randomly in this area,
with no communication from the local schools of requirements or times,
contacts or expectations. I would like to see something take place
during the coming year which strengthens this idea for all involved,
especially the students being asked to do the work!
Submitted by Julie Gillis, Assistant Director of Community
Relations, Austin, State Hospital, Austin, TX
At our hospital we love episodic volunteers who come in to
give monthly birthday parties for patients, holiday parties, gift
wrapping, and cake baking. Our patients have psychiatric disorders
so it is a great gift to have social activities for them. I do outreach
to high schools, churches and community/college groups letting them
know we are an option for service opportunities. We usually include
an orientation about mental illness, a speaker and a tour of a ward
along with the party so that we blend education and fun for the volunteers.
Submitted by Michael Wyland, Partner, Sumption & Wyland,
Sioux Falls, SD USA
My partner, Margaret Sumption (a volunteer center board member,
BTW), has a radical idea: if all an agency's volunteers were to do
a one-day "walkout", what would be the impact on the organization?
Targeting one industry, like hospitals, would focus an ED's attention
FAST! Thanks to Susan for fighting the good fight!
Submitted by Mary R. Nielsen, Lake Mich College Mendel Center,
Michigan, USA
I encourage our volunteers to really feel part of our organization,
to take part in planning events from the ground up. We take approximately
5 new volunteers a year to be "under the wings" of veteran
volunteers. My challenge: although I am pleased with a volunteer's
sense of ownership for our organization, how do I handle the volunteer
whose attitude changes from team player to "sole owner"
and becomes bossy to the other volunteers.?
Submitted by Annette Pinkney, Coordinator of Volunteers, KFL&A
Health Unit, Ontario/Canada
Another trend, especially in Canada will be student volunteers
on the increase. It is now part of the requirements for a high school
diploma that each student complete 40 hours of volunteer work before
graduation. This should lend itself to some creative volunteer programs
that would involve students with short term projects requiring minimal
training. This could be a win-win situation for everyone...lets make
it challenging and meaningful so they will come back just for the
fun of it!
Submitted by Lynn Carroll, Volunteer Program Coordinator, The
Nature Conservancy of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
I have been faced with the "Short-term / Episodic Commitment"
reality over and over in the past year. I have struggled to find ways
to find one-time volunteer projects which are worth the investment,
without "creating" busywork. I don't have any pearls of
wisdom, but it's great to hear that I'm not the only one who faces
this situation!
