From Compassion to Action, Volunteerism and its Effect on People
Salem, Mass., April 3, 2017 — It was an 85-degree summer day in 2015 when I was taking my usual walk to the local golf course where I work, but I wasn’t going there for that reason. I was going there to volunteer for The First Tee of Massachusetts, a non-profit organization that teaches youth the fundamentals of golf along with core values they can take with them beyond the game.
Volunteering is something I started doing a few years back, and every time I finish a project over a period of time I always feel so grateful for the opportunity. The Corporation for National & Community Service website says that perhaps the biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into their lives and making a difference in their community and country.
In a report done by the CNCS titled The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research, established a strong relationship between volunteering and health saying “those who volunteer have lower morality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.”
This case was no different. When I heard about The First Tee having a program in Salem I jumped at the chance to teach young people a sport I love. I remember that first day, seeing them walking up with their parents with big smiles on their faces and golf bags that were three times their size.
Volunteering is a great opportunity for personal growth and providing you a sense of purpose, but there are also studies that show that if you already have a lot on your plate, and you add another thing even if it is positive it can have negative effects. I wanted to dig deeper into this because volunteering experiences are different for everyone. Some volunteer because they love it and want to help others, and some volunteer because they are required to through programs or for disciplinary purposes.
I went to the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem to meet with the volunteer coordinator to further discuss the concept of altruism. This shelter just celebrated their 40th year in business, has saved 125,000 lives and is one of the biggest no-kill shelters in New England. Jen Adams, who was a volunteer at the shelter for three years first, has now been the volunteer coordinator for the last six years.
“I never intended to become the coordinator here, but the previous person who held the position decided to leave, and I was asked to take over and here we are,” she said with a laugh.
I asked Adams what her goal was with the volunteers when she took over and her response was to have equality among everyone and growth among the shelter.
“When I first took over we had a total of 180 volunteers and now we have 500,” she noted. “If we didn’t have volunteers this shelter wouldn’t exist, they do so much work here and are just as important as our regular staff members.”
The volunteer process has changed over the years, as you cannot just go into a place and say “I want to volunteer.” Many places now require you to fill out paperwork and pass a CORI form. Adams also says she can’t always accept volunteer applicants, which she says is the hardest part of her job.
“For our shelter every volunteer has to be 18 and up, so that cancels out the young people who come in asking to volunteer,” she said. “We also get people with disabilities that wouldn’t allow them to do some of the tasks this job requires, as we work with a lot of different types of dogs and cats who react differently to certain people. It’s definitely not easy what we do here.”
Even with the 500 volunteers on hand for this shelter, they are still short-handed, which is a common problem for most places that allow volunteers. Corie Goodman, new to volunteering herself said it has been harder than she expected.
“I have realized doing work like this is emotionally and physically draining,” she said. “It’s interesting to work with all types of people who are volunteering for different reasons, and to meet the people who come in wanting to adopt for various circumstances.”
Goodman and Adams each mentioned not being paid for the work also factors into why some people wouldn’t be comfortable volunteering.
“It is something that people are not accustomed to,” says Goodman.
I asked Goodman if she had any advice for people looking to try volunteering for the first time, and she said ask friends who have volunteered before.
“I talked to friends first who gave me advice on how to handle myself emotionally so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed,” she said. “I’ve seen people who try volunteering too much to the point where they drain themselves too fast and end up leaving sooner than the organization wants.”
As someone who has volunteered myself, I agree with Goodman and that you should reach out to people first and research where you would like to volunteer. Learn about the organization and what they do there. You don’t want to go in thinking one thing and it not ending up how you wanted. I am very passionate about youth activity which is why I chose The First Tee, and I couldn’t have had a better time working with the young ones.
If you are someone who asks “What’s in it for me?” then I don’t think volunteering is the right choice for you. The willingness to help others, I believe, is something that comes natural to people.
If you want to learn more about the positives and negatives of altruism there are many organizations who could use your help. Below are two websites that are easy to navigate and can help find the right place for you.
Resources:
VolunteerMatch.org
Idealist.org
