Author Topic: Do you do volunteer work?  (Read 8715 times)

mvansand76

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Do you do volunteer work?
« on: July 18, 2007, 05:18:42 pm »


Hi! This is just one of the topics we were thinking of when we started pondering about this new forum!

Do you do volunteer work? Or: have you done volunteer work?

What do you do exactly?

How long have you been doing this?

What do you like about volunteer work?

If you have a paid job / or are a fulltime mother/father too, how do you fit it in your daily life?



I will give my own answers in a seperate post!  8)

mvansand76

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2007, 05:30:49 pm »
Do you do volunteer work? Or: have you done volunteer work?
Yes, I do volunteer work for a patient association. I work as an editor for them, proofreading and writing articles. Also, for two years (2003-2005) I taught Dutch language to Moroccan and Turkish children and had my own radio program in a university medical centre.

What do you do exactly?
See above!

How long have you been doing this?
2,5 years! How time flies!

What do you like about volunteer work?
That it allows me to write articles about very important issues that need to be addressed: political issues, health care issues, trying to deal with chronic pain or how to get rid of it. The magazine we publish is very informative to people who are only just dealing with Repetitive Strain Injury and have no idea where to turn.

If you have a paid job / or are a fulltime mother/father too, how do you fit it in your daily life?
It's difficult sometimes. The reason why I stopped working at the other two volunteer jobs was because I couldn't combine it with my new job as a translator and editor anymore. Therefore I chose one volunteer job to continue with...

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2007, 05:36:44 pm »
I have been feeling for a while like I need to get into doing more volunteer work.  I used to, but then had a tiny child and it felt hard.  But now I do have the time.  

I was very inspired by Sicko, the new movie by Michael Moore about America's lack of health care for its citizens, and the contrast between that and various other countries.  I am thinking about looking into how I can support the effort to improve that.

One of my favorite volunteer things I ever did was I taught one man to read.  Troy worked in a lumber factory, where they turned trees into boards to build with.  He worked with the sawdust, hauling, hauling, hauling.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays after work, he would hurry home to shower and get the sawdust out of very pore, put on his very best clothes, and meet me at the local library for an hour and a half.  When we first started we had a hard time simply understanding the other.  I was from a college-educated New York culture and he was from African-American deep country Mississippi.  We spent a fair amount of time saying, "Hunh?" to each other at first.  :)

But we were smart and learned to understand each other.  He worked hard.  Progress was slowish at first, as he worked with paper and pencil and books for the first time in his life, and as I learned how to impart this skill I took as much for granted as I did breathing.  After about 6 months, we could both see huge progress and he started really getting not just how to be taught, but how to teach himself.  We were on the front page of the local newspaper once, and with various other achievements, that is one of the ones I am still proudest of.

When we started working together, he had a 3 year old he couldn't read to.  By the end of our nearly two years together, he could read to Troy Jr. and even help him begin to learn to read himself....:)

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2007, 05:51:27 pm »
What a great story, Clarissa!

My main volunteer work is to collect the seeds of wildflowers in the fall. I belong to a group that does this and sends the seeds to a nursery. In the spring, we sell the little plants to the community. By doing this, we are trying to perpetuate the native plants.

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Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2007, 06:11:11 pm »
Mel and Lee, those both sound way cool and wonderful.  Let me say thank you for all the people who don't know to, but would if they could!  :)

Offline Shasta542

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2007, 09:36:06 pm »
I have been feeling for a while like I need to get into doing more volunteer work.  I used to, but then had a tiny child and it felt hard.  But now I do have the time.  

I was very inspired by Sicko, the new movie by Michael Moore about America's lack of health care for its citizens, and the contrast between that and various other countries.  I am thinking about looking into how I can support the effort to improve that.

One of my favorite volunteer things I ever did was I taught one man to read.  Troy worked in a lumber factory, where they turned trees into boards to build with.  He worked with the sawdust, hauling, hauling, hauling.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays after work, he would hurry home to shower and get the sawdust out of very pore, put on his very best clothes, and meet me at the local library for an hour and a half.  When we first started we had a hard time simply understanding the other.  I was from a college-educated New York culture and he was from African-American deep country Mississippi.  We spent a fair amount of time saying, "Hunh?" to each other at first.  :)

But we were smart and learned to understand each other.  He worked hard.  Progress was slowish at first, as he worked with paper and pencil and books for the first time in his life, and as I learned how to impart this skill I took as much for granted as I did breathing.  After about 6 months, we could both see huge progress and he started really getting not just how to be taught, but how to teach himself.  We were on the front page of the local newspaper once, and with various other achievements, that is one of the ones I am still proudest of.

When we started working together, he had a 3 year old he couldn't read to.  By the end of our nearly two years together, he could read to Troy Jr. and even help him begin to learn to read himself....:)


This is wonderful, Elle. What a sense of accomplishment and pride for both of ya'll.
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2007, 09:46:11 pm »
I volunteer several evenings a month at the Portland Community Free Clinic. The clinic provides primary care to folks who do not have health insurance but who do not qualify for other programs, such as MaineCare. It is truly a safety net agency. I have been volunteering there since 2000.

http://www.mercyhospital.com/affiliated/freeclinic.html

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mvansand76

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2007, 06:01:04 am »
Great stories, Clarissa, Lee and Leslie!

It's really all about the small things you can do if you have the time that makes a difference! And in small I don't mean the impact it has, but more that it seems small, but the effect it has is huge!

Offline Shakesthecoffecan

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2007, 02:35:48 pm »
I should volunteer to help out with things, but when you work for commission you feel like you are volunteering a large amoung of your time already.
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mvansand76

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2007, 03:10:59 pm »
I should volunteer to help out with things, but when you work for commission you feel like you are volunteering a large amoung of your time already.

What do you mean by work for commission? What kind of work do you do?

Offline dot-matrix

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2007, 09:50:59 pm »
Do you do volunteer work? Or: have you done volunteer work?

Yes, I use to volunteer for the local bar associations Lawyer Referral Service offering free legal assistance to people who cannot afford a consultation with an attorney.  These days I volunteer at my local Library's Literacy Program.  Myself and another woman work, one evening a week with a group of 5 women learning to read.  Bob and I also donate 2 Saturday mornings a month to the local animal shelter on their adoption weekends.

What do you do exactly?

Teach word recognition & phonetics to help people learn to read. 

bath and present new puppies and kittens as well as mature dogs and cats to prospect new families

How long have you been doing this?

Years

What do you like about volunteer work?

It's veru satisfying to think you might have helped someone achieve a better quality of life, either by increasing their self esteem and their cognitive abilites or by helping to provide them with a companion animal and all the unconditional love that goes with it.

If you have a paid job / or are a fulltime mother/father too, how do you fit it in your daily life?

Careful planning.  I limit my shelter days to Saturdays because it must be done during the day.  But the literacy work is done after working hours and with my husband's unqualified encouragement.  He answers phones at the student help desk and crises center at his school on the eveing I volunteer, he is the only professor who does.  If we had a child I would have a sitter for this one evening a week because I think it is important for children to see their parents giving back to the community.
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2007, 12:17:48 pm »
What do you mean by work for commission? What kind of work do you do?

I believe Truman is a real estate agent. He makes a commission on the houses/property he sells.

L
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mvansand76

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2007, 02:30:05 pm »
I believe Truman is a real estate agent. He makes a commission on the houses/property he sells.

L

Oh, OK, Thanks!  ;D

Offline Kelda

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2007, 05:56:18 pm »
Do you do volunteer work? Or: have you done volunteer work?

In university I was in the uni RAG team. which is the charities grop raising money for good causes. I really really enjoyed that. At the moment I am treasurer for my brass band - I volunteered for that and help organise the brass band but I have a hidden agenda there as in the end it benefits me as the band keeps going and I get to enjoy playing music.

I did volunteer to be a meals on wheel person in my local area with the VWS year ago about a but because i work in the city, I could only do dinner time and weekends and apparently they don't provide meals on wheels at night or on weekends. So that didn't work out. I could have helped man the shop at the local hospital - but i wanted to do something where I interacted with people more fully.

I keep meaning to try and find some other way to volunteer in the local area but I never quite get round to it - life takes over but everyone else seems to be managing which puts me to shame. Perhaps this thread will get me moving.

What do you like about volunteer work?

I think its the feel good factor me is definitely a motivator - it certainly has been in my fundraising activities. But I wanted to take on the meals on wheels because I wanted to make a direct difference to people's life and perhaps give someone a listener, someone to chat to.

If you have a paid job / or are a fulltime mother/father too, how do you fit it in your daily life?

I need to make time - because unless you do..... there aint ever enough time, never enough time becomes the mantra, doesn't it.

Does anyone have any tips about possible internet sites which may give me an idea of what I might be able to get involved in, in my local area?
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

http://idb.easysearch.org.uk/

Offline Dobie1018

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #14 on: August 28, 2007, 01:02:11 pm »
Do you do volunteer work?
Yes - with my dogs.  They are certified therapy dogs, and we go to nursing homes, rehab centers, hospitals, and other places to cheer up the patients.
What you you do exactly?
I belong to our local therapy dog club, and we take our dogs (one dog per handler) to scheduled visits to local facilities.  Our calendar has visits scheduled practically every weekday of the month, and several weekend visits, and we have a waiting list of facilities that want to have us visit, but at the time we don't have enough dog/handler teams to cover them.  We go into the facility, and generally walk from room to room, letting our dogs interact with with patients.
How long have you been doing this?
For about 15 years now at least. 
What do you like about volunteer work?
I like to see the patients' faces light up when I go into a room with my dog, and they get to pet them and talk to them.  Some people are so depressed or ill or mentally unstable, they don't utter a word to other people, but when then see the dogs come in, it's all different.  They open up to the dogs, talk to them, and try to communicate with them.  It's so heartwarming to see people who haven't uttered a sound to anyone in months, trying to talk to, hug or kiss our dogs.  Dogs are so non-judgmental - they don't care what people look like or what disabilities they may have; just a pat on the head or a kind word is all it takes for them to be overjoyed and happy to be near you. 
If you have a paid job, how do you fit it into your daily life?
Yes, I have a full time job, am single, and live alone (with my 3 dogs and 2 cats) and it is difficult to find the time to get my dogs ready to go on a therapy visit.  The visits I do are mostly weekend visits or special request visits.

Offline Kelda

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #15 on: August 28, 2007, 05:15:22 pm »
That is so cool! Is it only dogs or can other animals be therapy animals?
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

http://idb.easysearch.org.uk/

Offline Dobie1018

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #16 on: August 29, 2007, 08:51:22 am »
I've heard of therapy rabbits, cats and ferrets, but our group, Space Coast Therapy Dogs, is only dogs.  Some of the facilities have a resident cat that lives at the facility that wanders around that is cared for by the residents.  Pretty cool.

Offline Kelda

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Re: Do you do volunteer work?
« Reply #17 on: July 17, 2011, 03:36:48 pm »
bumping some old threads
http://www.idbrass.com

Please use the following links when shopping online -It will help us raise money without costing you a penny.

http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/idb

http://idb.easysearch.org.uk/