Vermont, Vacation and Volunteers

by Patricia Kimball

Writing this blog is an honor. Being asked to share my thoughts and experiences about volunteerism, social change, leadership….I consider this a huge honor. So, when I sit down and begin to craft my posting, I do so with all the seriousness I can muster.

But today is a bit different. As it turns out, I am on vacation at a small camp in the back woods of Vermont. With no electricity at hand, I have only enough time to write this as my aging laptop battery will spare. I am sticky and warm; the early July heat has made me feel more like sleeping then hiking or adventuring in the woods. And my mind is still on Lisbeth Salandar, as I am closing in on the last chapters of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Writing a blog about anything related to work seems a bit out of alignment with my current environment or state of mind. Or does it?

One of the things that I love about the work that I do is that it is so closely integrated into my life that at times I do not see it as a separate function or something that I do to make a living. This is precisely why I am perfectly content staring at my laptop screen while I listen to frogs croaking in the pond yards from my doorstep. Working in the nonprofit world affords me the opportunity to focus my time on things that speak to my values, that access the deepest part of me, that allow me to use my skills and interests to further important causes – be they large and universal or small and specific. I don’t have to separate my work life from my personal life, because what I do for work is deeply personal.

This is what I find so amazing about the opportunity to work with volunteers. Volunteers do not come to work for a paycheck. Instead, they come for the opportunity to contribute something of themselves to social causes which are personally important to them. Of course, the details of an individual’s choice to volunteer are as diverse as the skills each individual brings to a job. The commitment to give, however, is universal.

Why is it important to recognize the unique value volunteers bring with them to a workplace, beyond a specific set of skills and an extra pair of hands? Because it enables me to engage the volunteer on a more meaningful level. Asking why a person is choosing to volunteer with my organization or cause allows me to craft an experience for them that is not only satisfying and fulfilling for them as individuals, but ensures a quality of work that benefits my clients in the long run. Volunteers whose motivations are understood, acknowledged and considered when he or she is being placed are more likely to stay with the organization longer, to recruit like-minded people to the cause, and to be an advocate for the organization, clients and cause long after their volunteer experience has ended.

If you are as lucky as I am and consider the intersection of your personal life and your work to be a gift, assume that gift to be what volunteers bring to your organization. Recognizing and acknowledging this will ultimately ensure rewarding experiences for the volunteer, the clients and your organization.

Now, about a swim in that pond….

Patricia Kimball is the owner/founder of Ideactive Solutions and is a featured blogger.