Becoming A Volunteer
Being a volunteer has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. My earliest memory as a volunteer was walking up to our local elementary school on Saturday mornings as a 10-year-old to participate in a recreational program for children with disabilities. That amazing experience led me to numerous and diverse volunteer experiences throughout elementary school, junior high school and high school.
Once I entered college in the fall of 1983 at SUNY Geneseo, I saw signs for a “Volunteer Fair” at the student union. I made it a priority to get myself there to see what it was all about. Once I arrived, I was excited at the buffet of opportunities! I quickly signed up to be a “big sister”, as part of an organization called “Big Brothers Big Sisters of America”. I was so fortunate to continue with the same “little sister” throughout my four undergraduate years and, thanks to social media, we are still in communication today! I also became a weekly volunteer at a residential school for children with visual and hearing disabilities. This volunteer experience became my passion and ultimately my career!
It didn’t take long into any of my many volunteer experiences to make me realize that these were clearly win-win situations. While people always would say how great it was that I was volunteering, I would always express that I felt I benefitted as much, and sometimes even more, from these experiences.
After college, and while raising my family and building my career, I continued to volunteer in ways that were more connected to my life at the time (i.e. class parent, local fundraisers, soccer concession stand, etc.). These experiences definitely fit well into my life but I longed for a time in the future that I would once again have more availability to pursue other volunteer opportunities.
While the pandemic most certainly changed my life in many ways and presented incredible challenges, the silver lining for me was that I had more time on my hands. Knowing that in-person volunteer opportunities were very limited, I started to search for volunteer opportunities that were virtual. I connected with countless agencies and organizations and did a lot of my own investigating to find the right fit. That search led me to an incredible volunteer opportunity to become a crisis counselor with Response Crisis Center, which is based on Long Island. Response Crisis Center provides professionally trained and supervised volunteer counselors who offer callers telephone support and help them to explore options that allow them to think through their next steps. This counseling helps callers lower their anxiety and find their own solutions. Crisis counselors also provide referrals for support groups, clinicians, mental health clinics, other hotlines and a host of other community programs and services.
I began the very thorough and exciting training process with Response Crisis Center back in March 2021. This training included attending many virtual workshops, both live and recorded, as well as “on the job” supervision and training while taking live phone calls. As required, once my training was complete in June 2021, I began a weekly four-hour shift as a crisis counselor. This continues to be an amazing opportunity to provide support to diverse callers with varying needs, concerns, and challenges. I am incredibly grateful to the amazing staff and volunteers at Response Crisis Center for the work that they do and the wonderful support they continue to provide to me as I grow in my role with this organization. If you would like to learn more about this outstanding organization and possibly even become a volunteer, you can go to their website https://www.responsecrisiscenter.org/ If you would like to donate, you can go to https://www.responsecrisiscenter.org/donations
If volunteering is something you would like to consider, there are so many people and organizations that need help. While you are helping others, it is important to remember that great benefits volunteering can provide to you as well. The information below highlights some of the is for you.
On the link to this website below,
some of the noted benefits of volunteering include:
---A physical feeling of satisfaction. There’s scientific evidence that volunteering positively affects your body. Studies show that when people donate to charity, either financially or through volunteering, they trigger the mesolimbic system — the portion of the brain responsible for feelings of reward. The brain releases feel-good chemicals, spurring you to perform more kind acts. Psychologists call it “helper’s high.”
---New friends and stronger friendships. When you help others, you give off positive vibes, which can rub off on peers and improve your friendships, creating strong, lasting bonds. For instance, if you’re volunteering to mentor children, chances are good you’ll meet people who care about young children. Volunteering is an excellent way to find your “tribe.”
---Connection and confidence. Silence the inner voice that’s saying you’re not enough! People who volunteer have been found to have higher self-esteem and overall well-being. Experts explain that the more connection you feel, the higher your self-esteem.
---Social and networking skills. Volunteering is a social activity — so it can build up your list of important contacts. For example, the people you volunteer with are great candidates for recommendation letters. After all, these are the people who have seen you interact with others and handle new challenges.