by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
“Volunteers don’t want to lick envelopes. They want to change lives,” says Judy Smith, CEO and President of Volunteer Jacksonville.
Making the world (or at least Jacksonville) a better place is one thing you can start to do in ’08. This year, your help will be needed more than ever, since budget cuts have hobbled many organizations.
“We had a summit this year on the effects of the public service grant cuts and how it would affect the quality of life,” says Rena Coughlin of the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida. The cuts mean that non-profits have to tighten their belts, making volunteers and donations even more critical.
If you want to volunteer, but you’re not sure where to start, Volunteer Jacksonville can pair you with an organization that matches your interests and needs volunteers. Whether you’re concerned about the environment or want to help underprivileged kids, there’s something for everyone and everyone’s needed.
“We get the word out there as much as we can, to make this a volunteering community…Our volunteer rate here [in Jacksonville] is over twice the national average…This is a volunteering community…It’s in our DNA…” says Smith.
Rena Coughlin of the Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida says that non-profits do tend to have a positive financial impact on the community at large.
“In February we’re releasing a report on the economic impact of the non-profit sector, specifically in North East Florida,” says Coughlin.
Volunteering doesn’t just help others, it also benefits you! There are plenty of indirect benefits to volunteering. Those who give their time to others experience social benefits—they learn how to deal with people and they feel better about themselves. It can also be good for your pocket book, if indirectly. A creative person can use volunteering as a networking opportunity. If you want to learn a skill to put on your resume, volunteer organizations can sometimes place you in a situation where you can learn those skills.
If you’re new to Jacksonville, volunteering can help connect you to the community. Our community is all about lending a helping hand, and being a part of a volunteer organization can help you learn more about Jacksonville and its people, than your morning commute and job will.
Various studies have shown that those who volunteer will experience better social, mental and physical health. Volunteers tend to get sick less and their illnesses have shorter duration.
“We volunteer to make ourselves feel better and to make others feel better…and it’s good for business… whether our business is being happy or selling a product or service,” says Smith.
There are two ways to connect with Volunteer Jacksonville. The first is through their website, volunteerjacksonville.org, which has everything you need to sign up to volunteer. The second is just by picking up the phone and calling (904) 332-6767. Although the website is used most often, there’s generally someone who will speak with you at the Volunteer Jacksonville office.
“We connect people with opportunities to serve, whether that’s through our website or through somebody making a phone call and talking to a real person. Some people still like to have that personal touch, that connection…[by] talking with a real person.” says Smith.
Volunteer Jacksonville helps organizations figure out what they need, and how to best utilize the volunteers that they have. Helping non-profit organizations understand how much volunteers can do, building volunteer capacity, and gaining skills to manage volunteers are all part of what Volunteer Jacksonville does.
“When an organization is limited in their thinking about what volunteers can do,” says Smith “the volunteers aren’t going to have an optimized experience in volunteering.”
Volunteering isn’t just about licking envelopes. Sometimes it’s about using what you’re already good at, such as creating art, social networking, organizing an event and even accounting, for the betterment of the community. If you have a degree or a talent and you want to volunteer, make sure you mention it because Volunteer Jacksonville is excellent at finding ways to use your skills to make the world a better place.
While many volunteering events are fun, Volunteer Jacksonville wants to instill something more permanent in their volunteers. They want people who volunteer for a cause to become engaged with that cause, and with the spirit of volunteering.
“We inspire people by promoting volunteering… We really want people to be engaged with a volunteer opportunity. It’s one thing to do something that’s just fun – you go to a race or clean up – we really want people to become engaged.”
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