December 14 Reverb Broads
Is volunteering something you do regularly? If yes where do you volunteer? If not, why not?
Kassie at http://bravelyobey.blogspot.com
I grew up in a volunteering culture. I volunteered with m 4-H club and with the church I grew up in. My mom still volunteers as an election judge and donates time to the church. I donate blood because my dad donates blood.
The volunteering tapered off in college. I still did some random volunteering, but I allowed my time to be gobbled up by euchre and working to pay for college.
After a couple of years in the Twin Cities, I started volunteering with Single Volunteers of the Twin Cities (SVTC) for admittedly selfish reasons. I was volunteering most weekends. I also got trained as an ESL and adult basic education tutor and tutored weekly at the library.
Volunteering is important. I think, and likely others would agree, that volunteering is the best way to get to know a community. For me, volunteering was a lifeline out of the depression that being lonely and single in a new town.
But, I haven't volunteered much in recent years. One must be single to be in SVTC. I took a job that required working evenings and stopped tutoring. I tried getting involved in the local 4-H, but aside from passing the screening, nothing happened. The 4-H organization in Minnesota seems to be quite different than the 4-H I grew up in. The real fault lies in me. I never figured out how to truly offer my help.
With any luck this prompt will force me into action for the New Year. I moved into a new town/county this summer. I have a new community to learn. Maybe I'll find some way to share my myriad (but suspect) talents.
Hey, they used to have volunteer opportunities at, I think, the Dakota County Historical Society -- transcribing historical interviews for their archives, that sort of thing. Don't know if it would expand your social circle at all, but it would be giving something back to the community and learning about said community all at the same time -- albeit from the perspective of years past. Maybe give them a call and see what their current needs are. One idea for you anyway.
ReplyDeleteTotally not meant to make you feel guilty. I'm struggling with my volunteer commitments right now too. And just unsure of how to make it work with everything else going on in my life.
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