tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338316905613216821.post673184294164993791..comments2023-10-26T07:17:32.263-04:00Comments on The Cliff: Volunteers: Be consistent and long-termUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338316905613216821.post-30221654330522608612009-07-20T12:37:17.333-04:002009-07-20T12:37:17.333-04:00I was actually just talking to someone at BBBS abo...I was actually just talking to someone at BBBS about this same thing the other day!<br /><br />As someone who works in volunteer coordination (at the Bethlehem Center), I see one-time volunteers as a huge asset. I've had several groups of volunteers come over the summer that have knocked things off of our "to do" list that we never would have been able to do ourselves!<br /><br />However, our children heavily rely on the steady tutors and mentors. Many people don't know that just one hour per week of volunteering is all you need here to help our children reach the academic successes they need! Many of our children don't have parents at home reading to them, so we look towards our volunteers to fill that need.<br /><br />I'm assuming the nonprofit employee that said he would prefer long-term volunteers wasn't meaning he doesn't appreciate the one-timers, but what you have to realize is that sometimes those one-timers take a lot of staff time and effort. If you're looking for a way to help, become a volunteer volunteer coordinator (wow, that's a lot of "volunteer" usage!) Help contact volunteer groups, schedule them, make sure they have everything they need, etc... That would help much more than you know!Amy Hutchisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05865810800131156847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338316905613216821.post-68757143620624922472009-07-14T18:54:07.359-04:002009-07-14T18:54:07.359-04:00Building on the earlier comment - here's an ar...Building on the earlier comment - here's an article by Susan Ellis about Welcoming ALL Kinds of Volunteers. The nonprofits that stretch their thinking and structures and find more ways to roll out the welcome mat will benefit from more volunteers. And yes, all long-timers start as one-timers.<br /><br />http://budurl.com/mc5z<br /><br />Karen<br />VolunteerSpot,DOING GOOD just got easierDoMoreGoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06047132170169306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338316905613216821.post-51820854468437580972009-07-14T00:39:14.587-04:002009-07-14T00:39:14.587-04:00Thanks for raising the call for long-term service!...Thanks for raising the call for long-term service! Sometimes, well-intentioned folks want to volunteer but have a hard time getting on the schedule due to simple communication breakdowns. VolunteerSpot.com offers a free and easy tool that helps nonprofits of all sizes schedule both 'one-time' and 'regular' volunteers. Simple signups make it easy for volunteers to choose when they want to help, and automated email reminders save staff time and help everyone keep their commitments.<br /><br />Please check us out at http://www.VolunteerSpot.comLorihttp://www.volunteerspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3338316905613216821.post-662058949166462522009-07-13T19:28:13.433-04:002009-07-13T19:28:13.433-04:00Perhaps some things are best left unsaid, or unwri...Perhaps some things are best left unsaid, or unwritten. You're basically telling me that if I cannot commit regularly then I should not commit at all. The only group that should get consistency from the volunteers are the children of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, I agree. Aside from these two groups I didn't realize there were rules to volunteering something that is mine. When you pay me then it is yours. It's like a beggar bemoaning the sandwich of bologna instead of ham and cheese. You should have quietly and happily accepted what you receive rather than complain via this medium or again, limited your complaint to Big Brothers and Big Sisters volunteers. I choose now not to volunteer at all simply because I cannot give you consistency. I might've been able to give you more later on but now we'll never know, will we?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com