topic Re: Volunteer work in Community Chat

Volunteer work

chessylady — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:45:01 GMT

Do you do volunteer work? Do you feel it is real work or just "make work?"

Re: Volunteer work

deepwaterdotter — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:50:30 GMT

I am a literacy tutor, cook/serve at my church's community meal, and drive voters to and from the polls on election day. I find that all activities keep me busy and are rewarding.

Re: Volunteer work

151949 — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:50:31 GMT

When we are in Fl I volunteer at the hospital and I do feel it is just made up work most of the time. I don't plan to do it again this year. It was incredibly boring most of the time. DH and I also volunteer at our church's foodbank where I feel very relevant and look forward to going back in the fall. I need to find some other type of volunteer work to do - so far no luck with that but it will come to me.

Re: Volunteer work

Marienkaefer2 — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:51:53 GMT

What do you mean by make work?

Yes,I volunteer, and to me it is like a job. The students I tutor depend on me to be in the classroom, so when I make a commitment, I stick to it as best I can.

Re: Volunteer work

151949 — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:54:50 GMT

If anyone is looking for a do at home volunteer opportunity - there is a organization that sews adaptive clothing for injured vets called Sew for Comfort. You can look them up online. There is another group that crochets together strips of plastic bags to make waterproof mats for homeless people to sleep on and stay dry. Both are a good stay at home volunteer opp. for the right people with the right skills.

Re: Volunteer work

minkbunny — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:58:06 GMT

Yes, I volunteer and it is real work. Have done so with the same group for about fifteen years and love it more each year!

Re: Volunteer work

chessylady — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:59:03 GMT

Happy housewife, I also volunteered at a hospital for four years and finally quit because it was too boring. I had even asked the coordinator to give me more to do but it never happened. I would also like to find something more meaningful.

Re: Volunteer work

151949 — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 23:23:47 GMT

On 7/6/2014 chessylady said: Happy housewife, I also volunteered at a hospital for four years and finally quit because it was too boring. I had even asked the coordinator to give me more to do but it never happened. I would also like to find something more meaningful.

Yeah, I think hospitals get so many volunteers - esp in Fl - that they just don't know what to do with them all. I love working at the foodbank - I may increase my time donation to them instead, and it is something DH & I do together.

Re: Volunteer work

Puzzle Piece — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 23:28:54 GMT

Yes, I am a volunteer.

Re: Volunteer work

issiestorm — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 23:31:30 GMT

I used to volunteer at my local health care clinic. I now live in a different city. I helped to direct people as to where to wait for their appointments, sometimes made them tea, but most of the time I was a sort of sounding board.

Re: Volunteer work

meem120 — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 23:59:01 GMT

I am retiring in October. I don't know what I will do with myself after the initial novelty wears off. I need to do something. Any suggestions as to where to start?

Re: Volunteer work

herekitty_kitty — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:01:11 GMT

yes i volunteer.

Re: Volunteer work

loveschocolate — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:02:14 GMT

My DH, DD and myself do community service throughout the year.

Re: Volunteer work

lulu2 — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:04:53 GMT

On 7/6/2014 chessylady said: Happy housewife, I also volunteered at a hospital for four years and finally quit because it was too boring. I had even asked the coordinator to give me more to do but it never happened. I would also like to find something more meaningful.

I volunteer in the gift shop and am always busy. There is no time for boredom. When I volunteered in Escort, we were always on the run.

Re: Volunteer work

deepwaterdotter — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:09:09 GMT

On 7/6/2014 mcall1020 said:
I am retiring in October. I don't know what I will do with myself after the initial novelty wears off. I need to do something. Any suggestions as to where to start?

I spent the first two months cleaning closets and donating work clothes. Also rearranged my recipe file to accommodate a renewed interest in home cooking.

Re: Volunteer work

151949 — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:13:32 GMT

On 7/6/2014 mcall1020 said:
I am retiring in October. I don't know what I will do with myself after the initial novelty wears off. I need to do something. Any suggestions as to where to start?

This winter I volunteered at the food bank monday mornings - had my sewing club on wed mornings - diet class on Thursday at noon and volunteered at the hospital sat mornings. Church on sunday mornings - I could barely get my laundry, housework and grocery shopping done. I also either go to the gym or pool at the YMCA- where I run into many of my neighbors as we live 1 block from the Y - or the community pool in our plan every day. I have not been at all bored with being retired when we are at home. Sometimes when we are vacationing here in pa for the summer, as I don't have activities here and most of my friends still work.Generally I can say I love being retired.

Re: Volunteer work

151949 — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:15:53 GMT

On 7/6/2014 lulu2 said:
On 7/6/2014 chessylady said: Happy housewife, I also volunteered at a hospital for four years and finally quit because it was too boring. I had even asked the coordinator to give me more to do but it never happened. I would also like to find something more meaningful.

I volunteer in the gift shop and am always busy. There is no time for boredom. When I volunteered in Escort, we were always on the run.

Some hospitals are busier than others - ours only has a capacity for 100 and I have never known it to have more than 40. I live in a very small town.

Re: Volunteer work

Buck-i-Nana — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 00:40:28 GMT

I volunteer at two local no-kill shelters. At one, I work in the "kitty room" cleaning up, scooping, feeding etc. (loving on the kitties too). I also regularly go to this shelter and take out dogs for walks in the park (had to go through a training program on this one). I love to take photos of the dogs in the park with me, and they have often been used on the adoption site.

The other shelter, I provide free computer support.

Both are "real work" but a true labor of love.

Re: Volunteer work

qvcaddition — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 01:58:34 GMT

Just got back today, I am a docent at a famous home and garden. I meet a lot of interesting people on vacation and even some locals that have never had a tour at this place. I love it. I also volunteer at a playhouse where I get to see the plays free.

I use to volunteer at a hospital gift shop until they out sourced it and got rid of the volunteers. I quit because I loved that job and didn't want to push wheelchairs at my age.

I live a pretty full life since I retired, taking trips and volunteering. The garden is not make up work, they need docents very badly. You have to know the history of the person and place and a little about the plants. I am tired when I get home after a couple of tours, they are about an hour long.

I did volunteer at an animal shelter in town, but the volunteers are treated like second class citizens. When something goes wrong or wrong information given, the volunteer gets the blame. This happen to me, but I spoke up and told who gave me the information. It was also heartbreaking, you want to take every animal home with you. I have two at home now.

You have to love what you are doing because in a lot of the jobs you are not appreciated, so don't expect praise, just know you are making a difference. I am looking for another volunteer job that has meaning to help someone. The garden one closes from Oct to April, and the usher one mostly down in the summer, but they are both fun, so I need to do something that helps humankind.

Re: Volunteer work

Financialgrl — Mon, 07 Jul 2014 02:16:49 GMT

On 7/6/2014 mcall1020 said:
I am retiring in October. I don't know what I will do with myself after the initial novelty wears off. I need to do something. Any suggestions as to where to start?

Take some time off and do all the things that you never had time to devote before because you were working - for me that was ripping the house apart to thoroughly clean, de-cluttering, painting, etc. After you get that type stuff out of your system, think about what it is you would have liked to do but wouldn't have paid the bills. The absolute greatest thing about retirement is that if you don't like something you can move on to something else. I retired years ago and as I like to tell people, I am continually redefining what retirement means to me.

I did more than a few volunteer jobs - I was a volunteer kindergarten aid for my nephew's class twice a week, helped single mothers with their family budget and later was a volunteer tax preparer for AARP. Nowadays I travel a lot with friends. Good luck with whatever you decide!