There are lots of opportunities to serve as volunteers throughout our county. For many, the opportunity to serve on community organization boards or serve as volunteers in other capacities can be life enriching. Since most community programs rely on volunteers for staffing, outreach, education, and more, volunteers are one of the most valuable resources in our community.
Community engagement and volunteerism has always been essential for strong community programs. The impact of COVID-19 has shed even more light on the importance of programs that provide community outreach services and utilize volunteers. Fortunately, there are programs within Richmond County that address many human service needs, such as hunger, housing, academic enrichment, social, mental, and physical assistance, at little or no cost to the participants. The success of these programs hinges in part on the goodness of volunteers to offer their time, resources, and expertise.
Collaborations are essential to improve the lives of residents in our county. It takes all of us working together to make positive impacts in the health, education, social development, and economic development of our community. Some of the highlights of volunteerism on display annually are the United Way Day of Caring, the Partnership for Children’s Parent’s Resource Fair, and Stuff the Bus.
Each of these events impact the lives of many in a single day. These events are successful in large part because seasoned volunteers understand that whether volunteering as an individual or a team, there are factors that should carefully be considered before committing to serve in a volunteer role. The potential volunteer should consider the time involved, the task, and whether or not the activity invokes a passion in them.
Volunteering is a labor of love that requires time and commitment. Often, individuals confuse what is “expected” of them with being “reliable” and therefore feel they must say “yes” when asked to serve. In reality, it is an injustice to the organization and therefore our community when we commit and then fail to be reliable. In the process, the volunteer may also lose their credibility as a community servant. Social trust is a very real concept and is defined as a generalized faith in the honesty, integrity, and reliability of the people within the community.
Although, volunteers are needed in many areas of community programming, we also must recognize that saying “No”, in honesty, when asked to serve is in fact being responsible. It is better to be truthful and say no, rather than allow the organization to suffer due to absence.
Here are the steps to gracefully decline an invitation to serve as a volunteer:
· Always reply to email invites by acknowledging receipt of the email to the sender. This will let the organization know that their invitation was received.
· Declining the invitation to serve as a volunteer is best done immediately upon being asked. This will allow the organization to pursue other potential volunteers in a timely manner.
· If previously there were intentions of serving but circumstances have since changed, let the organizer know immediately.
For many organizations, failure of volunteers to notify of non-attendance translates into a loss of dollars that have been spent on food, materials, etc., for the meeting or event. For this reason it is important to always communicate whether able or unable to attend.
For those who want to serve but have a limited amount of time there are ways to serve without committing to long term and frequent attendance requirements. Individuals can create one time or yearly opportunities to serve. In collaboration with the organization director, one can develop a way to serve that matches their own unique strengths, abilities, or available time.
A good example of this is reading to children in the classroom. Typically, a community volunteer may read to a classroom once a year but it makes a huge impact on the children! Also, as a team, organization members can find ways to show up for the community. Many church members prepare meals as a unit to feed the hungry on a quarterly or annual basis in collaboration with feeding sites that rely on volunteer support and donations. This activity makes a whole lot of impact without a long term commitment of time and resources.
These are just a few examples of ways to serve others without overcommitting and risking the loss of credibility.
Volunteering is a wonderful way to serve others. If you would like to learn more about NC Cooperative Extension’s outreach and engagement services, Contact NCCE-Richmond County Center 910-997-8255 or visit richmond.ces.ncsu.edu for more information. The NC Cooperative Extension- Richmond County Center helps provide research-based education and technology to the producers and citizens of this great county. The office is located at 123 Caroline St. in Rockingham.