Me (on right), posing with sweet friend + local restauranteur
while volunteering at the WinterFest Chili Cook-off in 2011
A few events are on my agenda today; most notably: a
breakfast date, downtown, with Mark, a late afternoon massage at the fitness
center and dinner (possibly takeout, tonight). There’s another important action I’m taking today, though... I’m volunteering at a local Zonta
fundraiser, the WinterFest Chili Cook-off (proceeds are used to support the club’s
Women’s Scholarship Program).
Working full-time, writing, blogging, etc., etc., etc., I’ve
had to develop ways that enable me to contribute my time more thoughtfully than in
years gone by. Below are my key tips for volunteerism done mindfully:
Select a few organizations/causes
near and dear. Then, concentrate your charitable efforts amongst them: Right now I have two organizations
I primarily donate my efforts to on a regular basis: Zonta and the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women
initiative. Taking time to selectively choose causes near and dear; then, concentrating my efforts, meaningfully, amongst them makes me
feel I’m making more of an impact than volunteering for a host of many causes/agencies.
Establish
boundaries: I never agree to
do anything that makes me feel “put upon” or stressed out. If I’m too busy to volunteer, I don’t
sign on to do so. I reserve my efforts for those times when I can share myself
more freely. Another option is I sometimes offer to
donate small blocks of time. For
instance, today—I’m volunteering from 10:30 to noon. This enables me to give back, and still do everything else
slated for this weekend. It’s a
well-balanced approach that keeps me from burning out (so, in theory, I am
likely to contribute more, overall).
Make contributing fun
and meaningful: Our local Zonta Club’s volunteer activities are set up to
feel very social. Today, I’m
helping Chili Cook-off participants to find their set-up stations. I’m doing so with a host of dear
Zontian friends I adore being with; so, it makes my volunteer experience a fun
one. Addicted to writing (wink),
my contributions for the Go Red for Women campaign are often in the form of
written articles, blog posts, letters to policy makers, etc. This makes volunteering not only more
enjoyable; it is more meaningful to me.
Get creative with
your contributions: Sometimes, I don’t have time to donate an afternoon of
my time to a worthy cause.
Instead, I’ll look at what I can
do. For example, could I instead write
a press release for an upcoming fundraiser versus being there? Or, might I be able to pull together +
contribute a themed basket for an event’s silent auction—rather than helping to
set up for it? I like having the
opportunity to get creative with how I can make a difference.
Would love to hear any of your tips for mindful
volunteerism! Joy and peace. T.
