Volunteerism is a pretty good deal
August 16, 2004
By Cam Tait
GIBSONS, BC // When he was at university in Guelph, Ontario, David Inwood
got involved with St. John Ambulance. It took him literally around the world
to Australia. And it was there where David saw something that was a little
different.
"I remember a St. John ceremony where we were presenting certificate to successful candidates," David says in an e-mail. "The fellow making the speech commented extensively not on what the candidates had done well, but on what they had done poorly, even citing individuals and telling them where they needed to improve."
David saw another example of Aussies challenging one another to do more. It was the end of the year for a Scout group. When badges and certificates were handed out, the Scout leader chose to tell the Scouts they could have done so much more.
"Volunteering is a more formal exercise in Australia, although I detect a bit of a trend that way here from what I've experienced since coming back to Canada," David continues. "More often than not, volunteers have no say in any aspect of what needs to be done and how it should be done. They are given their instructions and are expected to perform without fuss. There is an expectation that volunteers should do the job with the same dedication as a paid employee. Where that falls down somewhat in Australia is that while the expectation for a high standard of performance is there, the training needed to achieve this standard is often not provided."
He recalls volunteers stealing from the organization and the charity rationalized the crime by saying, "it was legitimate payback for the shoddy way the organization treated them." Volunteer turnover was high. In fact, one volunteer was so unhappy with the way things were going he set fire to the place where he volunteered. Three times.
In Australia David was employed on a regular basis to manage the fundraising operations of a number of organizations, including St John Ambulance, the New Children's Hospital in Sydney, Mission Australia, and the Wesley Mission.
David began volunteering at the age of 12. "I learned very early on
that I can not do it alone, that being a volunteer really is being part
of a team, and that without that team nothing much good is going to happen.
That applies to volunteerism; it also applies to life." His volunteer
resumé includes churches, chambers of commerce, sports, Scouts, and service
groups - even a volunteer fire brigade in Peace River, Alberta.
One of his favourite experiences was when he visited several nursing
homes in Sydney and became good friends with a 90-year-old blind woman.
She was immersed in pain and barely got two hours of sleep a night.
But he says she never complained. "I used to smuggle chocolate into
her (forbidden by her doctor) and whenever I came by she would go to
her stash and share with me. She was one of the most inspiring and courageous
people I have ever known."
David says volunteering helps people realize that most
of the world does not have the good fortune many of us take for granted
every day. "Because of that realization I understand what is really
important and I know how to prioritize my life. I suppose it's because
of that, that there aren't too many things I take all that seriously. It does wonders for my stress levels and makes me a happy person."
He shares a few points volunteers might want to ponder:
- Make sure you have the time and support from your family before you volunteer for anything.
- Volunteer because you want to, not because you feel you should.
- Look for something that you would enjoy and be good at.
- Be prepared to do your volunteer work with the same level of quality and commitment as your paid work.
- Make sure you get properly trained for any volunteer role you are given.
"Aside from the simple fact that the work needs to be done, I keep volunteering because I feel that I am doing something really important. I'm making a positive difference in someone's life, and I just plain like doing it," says David. "All that being said, at the end of the day my volunteerism gives me back far more than I can ever give it. That's a pretty good deal in my book."
Now a fundraising consultant, David regularly shares his time with the
Salvation Army. He has also done some work for the Canadian Cancer Society,
the Kidney Foundation, a Sunshine Coast community building project, and
a local agency that assists adults with mental health concerns.
And he has great inspiration to keep him involved in his community.
"My father did something pretty special in his retirement. He went to
Africa and Central America and taught locals about business and how to
create a living for themselves. I think I would like to do that as well."
Do you know someone who deserves to be in the Charity Village Spotlight? Send us their name, telephone number and details about their community involvement to cam@charityvillage.com.
