Most , if not, all of our society have heard about the importance of community service. When we were in school, we were focused on giving our time to go out there and help in the community. In the workplace, companies have encouraged to employees to participate and do volunteer work in the community. Overall, we see a lot of opportunities available for people to participate and become the problem solvers that the World truly need.
Unfortunately, most people in society don’t do community service. We have seen people that do community service , but they only do it because they expect something in return. Whether it was in school or working for an employer , we have seen people sign up to volunteer and then don’t show up in the last minute for different reasons. There is also a level of responsibility with the way non-profit organizations work with volunteers in their programs.
For example, as part of my volunteer experience, I have seen first hand the frustrations that organizations went through when they face last minute no shows from volunteers. However, I have also seen the way they implemented their volunteer strategies and the mistakes that were made in terms of how they handled volunteers.
Despite these situations, this should not discourage people from doing volunteer service. One of the main challenges that organizations face is lack of participation from volunteers. This is not only the responsibility of the volunteer , but , also the organization. Non profit organizations need to work on strategies that will truly encourage volunteer participation. The volunteers should be focused on not necessarily help the organization directly, but , more important about the main cause in which he or she is volunteering for in the first place.
For the rest of society, it is important to stop looking volunteer service as just work with the expectation of a reward. Instead , it is time to look as volunteer service as a commitment that all of us have in making our World a much better place. Focus on giving back to the community from the heart, without the expectation of a reward or favor.
Tony Hernandez Pumarejo
7/2/18