Tuesday, July 07, 2009

To each his own



I have come to realize that volunteering is an individual thing, where one size definitely does not fit all. I was reminded of this today as I talked about various possibilities with a friend over coffee.

She is someone who already generously gives her professional time to several pro bono cases each week, in addition to tithing her money to her church. But she was looking for another opportunity to get involved with the community.

For two years now I have been pushing The Reading Connection as a volunteer opportunity with friends and family. My neighborhood friends seemed concerned about the shelter location in Anacostia. My husband much prefers volunteer work that involves website construction. Another friend I managed to recruit quit saying reading at the shelter felt too much like babysitting. My friend today said she would not be inclined to get involved in anything that involved young children, especially children that were not well behaved. That would definitely leave out my shelter.

She talked about cooking in a soup kitchen one day a week, but I reminded her that she hates to cook. She said she doesn’t mind chopping.

I suggested that we find a family on Capitol Hill that needs ongoing assistance, much as the families I used to sponsor around where I worked in the near-Washington ghetto. She was worried about having to make a permanent commitment, something that could eat into her scarce time.

The bottom line is often time is more precious than money, especially for those who have enough money but not too much time. We must pick and choose those activities that satisfy our need for community service but don’t burden us with commitments. Sometimes it’s a fine line.

5 Comments:

Blogger Ulysses said...

Once you train yourself to recognize them, opportunities to pitch in that meet your own skills and interests are easy to find.

11:45 PM  
Blogger Barbara said...

Ulysses -- You are so correct. Anyone willing to work for free has no trouble getting a job these days!

12:09 AM  
Blogger Steve Reed said...

This is so true. I've often thought about trying to volunteer somewhere (aside from doing things for the Zendo) but I just don't see how I could make the time commitment, with my erratic schedule.

2:22 PM  
Blogger Gary said...

Yep. There are so many ways to 'give back' and countless ways that we can help one another. Not all of them involve organized methods, there are smaller ways to volunteer that require less time or commitment. I LOVE the reading program you are involved with and enjoy reading about your work there. It seems like a good fit for you.

11:14 AM  
Blogger Kristin said...

We all have different ways of giving, which is kind of awesome. If we all wanted to work with kids, the elderly might be neglected. I wish more people would come to the shelter, though.

6:53 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home