Answering questions: Downsides of volunteerism

I put some time into recent responses on Quora and figured I'd share them here, too, since I clearly need to work on writing more consistently.

What are the three disadvantages of volunteerism?

There are not three specific disadvantages to volunteerism but several issues that one must consider before committing their time and effort to an organization or cause.

First of all, not everyone can afford the time to volunteer since it is unpaid work.

Even if one has the time, their organization of choice may not have volunteer opportunities at a time or place that one can commit to. Many opportunities conflict with work schedules or require volunteers to drive long distances.

Not all organizations can accommodate would-be volunteers who have disabilities or injuries that limit the type of service they can provide. I, unfortunately, had to end my time with one organization because running injuries hampered my ability to participate in the capacity volunteers needed to.

Many volunteer positions require significant physical demands of their volunteers and have injury risks even for fit people. These positions can include building and demolishing structures of varying strength.

• Organizations may provide insufficient tools or tools in poor repair, making the work even more challenging.
• They may require volunteers to provide their own tools and safety equipment such as gloves and goggles.
• They may require long shifts in dangerous weather conditions.
• They may have insufficient shift coverage so that a volunteer cannot even take a moment for water or a bathroom break without leaving their position empty.

Many organizations can better serve their communities or clients with monetary donations than with unskilled volunteer labor.

• It does cost organizations both time and money to train volunteers and provide supervision until the volunteers can confidently and reliably fulfill their roles.
• Anyone can organize a food drive, but food banks can help many more people and provide better quality food with monetary donations because of the tax breaks they get and the connections they have for buying food in bulk. And monetary donations also give food banks the resources to buy specific items that their beneficiaries need more than whatever was in the back of a donor’s pantry.

A lot of volunteer work is boring grunt work that someone needs to do: think envelope stuffing, block walking, phone banking, door greeting, and so on.

Social and political issues and how they impact someone’s paying job may prevent them from volunteering for causes they feel passionate about.

• If one is a public advocate for an organization such as Planned Parenthood, which receives a lot of public censure for providing necessary services, one must consider the potential repercussions if disapproving family, church members, coworkers, etc. hear about that volunteer work.
• If the volunteer is employed in an “at-will” state, they could even be fired for their decision to publicly support certain organizations.

And it can be frustrating to volunteer for an organization that has not planned well or is not prepared to direct volunteers to where they need to be and could leave volunteers with inadequate resources to serve others, maybe putting the unwitting volunteers at the face of complaints from clients or event participants/attendees.

There are, of course, many more potential disadvantages to volunteerism, but it’s up to each individual to be informed and weigh the possibilities for themselves before committing to helping an organization or while deciding whether to continue that volunteer work.

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June Journaling 21-24

I found a list of daily prompts for journaling in June and thought I'd give it a shot.
Yes, it's late; life happens.

21. What motivates you?

I sign up for races in order to motivate myself to work out. I work out to help mitigate depression and construct purpose in my life.

I work so I can maintain the lifestyle I like, including living in a house instead of an apartment, eating good food, and socializing with friends.

I volunteer to support my hobbies (trail rebuilding and race volunteering) and (clinic escorting) to atone for my teenage years spent as a rabid pro-lifer. 

22. What do you need?

Well, this prompt is painfully vague, isn't it?

I wish I had more time and social energy. I'd been looking forward to Queerbomb (the local anti-corporate-sponsorship alternative Pride event) for weeks and very much wanted to attend, but I had two migraines and slept very poorly every night in the week leading up to it and could not muster an ounce of energy to spend with crowds when the day finally came. I had strongly ambivalent feelings about not going.

I wish there were more ways to spend time with the queer community that weren't so late in the evenings or so spendy or so crowded always. Bisexuals are isolated enough; being an introvert doesn't help.


23. A way you relax:

I'm almost ashamed to say (because our culture insists it is shameful) that I spend a lot of my downtime with Netflix. I work full time and commute, which takes up 45-50 hours of my week. I'm training for a marathon, which includes cross-training and occupies up to 10 hours a week. I socialize a bit with my friends. And whatever is left after laundry, cleaning, and meal prep goes to sitting on the couch watching cute shows and petting cats.

I'd read more, but my job kind of burns me out on looking at words. I shouldn't have to justify spending time watching TV, but I feel like I have to because "laziness" is so reviled in our culture. Often I scan photos or work on crafts while watching TV, but then that counts as chores and work for me rather than relaxing.

Really, an episode of Charmed or Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is such a lovely way to unwind before bed: clever, kind, kick-ass women battle and defeat evil in an hour or less. What could be better?

24. The person you are currently grateful for:

I'm very grateful for the love, affection, and concern from my close friends and my sister. It's been a rough couple of weeks since the Orlando massacre, and it's been a huge help to know I have people who care for me and whom I can rely on. I've been sharing hugs and extra support with my housemates recently and lots of love with other friends as well.

Halfway!

This is a July 28 post from my fundraising page that I'm just now getting around to cross-posting on Blogger.

I've just reached half of my fundraising goal for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thanks largely to Mom's and Brother's help with volunteering at local races in exchange for fundraising payments! I've also raised over $100 this summer selling jewelry that my aunt made! 

 

Mom and I volunteered from 5 a.m. for the Disco Triathlon in June, feeding athletes loaded pancakes and fruit after they swam a mile, biked 40 miles, and ran another 9 miles! I don't know about you, but I can just barely swim 500 yards and bike about 5 miles total and never on the same day. It was an amazing experience to see and cheer so many athletes of every shape, size, and sex and deeply inspiring toward my own running goals.

 

Another volunteer we met there told me about an event called Dude, Just Tri! consisting of a 200-yard swim, 10-mile bike ride, and a 5k (3-mile) run, which I'm now contemplating training for next summer.

 

Earlier in July, Mom, Brother, and I volunteered from 4 a.m. at the Too Hot to Handle 5k & 15k race in Dallas. Brother directed participants to the parking lot for 5 hours straight and handled with ease the few folks angry about a full lot and having to park farther away. Mom helped athletes check in and get their t-shirts and set up prizes for the top finishers, and I helped police direct traffic and later handed out water to finishers.

We saw our first triple-digit temps of the year that day, and the racers struggled mightily through their 3- and 9-mile courses, even spending their pained breaths to thank us for volunteering. Over 100 volunteers came out that day, including two of my coworkers and one's partner, to take care of participants and make sure everything ran smoothly.

 

Altogether, we earned $300 for the LLS, and I'm a mere $950 from my final fundraising goal, due October 6 to secure my registration for the Honored Hero Half Marathon in Fort Worth on October 19. Summer training is really tough, but I'm keeping at it and am up to running 8 miles so far out of the 13.1 half marathon distance. The Honored Hero Run recognizes local survivors of blood cancers and raises money for research and treatment. I'm not sure I know anyone who's been affected by these specific cancers, but I signed up because I wanted to do something good for others.

 

Every little bit helps, so please share with your friends and coworkers. I've been stunned by the level of support from my coworkers and am glad I took on this challenge.

 

Thanks for all your love and support! I'll be working hard for this final fundraising stretch and to make sure I'm ready for my first half marathon, the Disneyland Half on August 31. I can't believe how quickly it's coming up!