Volunteer Voices

Dear Potential Volunteer,

I know you’ve been seriously considering spending some of your very precious time volunteering in Door County, but are still a little hesitant for a number of reasons.

In hopes of swaying you to the side of “doing good,” I thought I’d list a few things that I promise we will and won’t do if you decide to commit. Here goes!

We won’t:

• Tell you we don’t need you after all. We appreciate your effort in coming over, so rest assured, we’ll be ready when you get there!

• Not have what you need to get the job done. We won’t be running off to the store to get the supplies we should have had for you. We’ll be prepared.

• Say “good luck” and leave you to figure things out. We’ll help and direct where we can because we want you to come back!

• Tell you that you’re doing it all wrong. Everyone has different ways of getting to the same endpoint. We’re flexible, so we’re good with that.

• Ask you to come for an hour and expect you to stay all day. We know the value of your time and we’ll always respect that.

We will:

• Always welcome you and let you know how glad we are that you’re here.

• Show you where things are so you feel at home and part of the team. Rule number one should always be showing you where the bathrooms are and where to find the coffee.

• Thank you. Whether you spend an hour a week or an hour a month, we know you chose us when you could have been doing something else.

• We’ll remind you when your time is up. We know you’re concerned that the time commitment may be too much, so we’ll make sure to keep you only as long as you were planning.

Barbara Pfeifer, one of the many happy volunteers in Door County, at Altrusa’s annual Back to School Fair. Submitted photo.

• Set expectations for both of us. You need to know what our goals are and we need to know what you’d like to get out of this experience, too. We’re a team in this!

• Motivate and encourage new ideas from you. The best part of bringing in new people is getting a fresh perspective.

• Check in with you to see how things are going and make adjustments when they’re needed.

• Promise that you’ll have fun. Life is just too short not to be with people who make you laugh.

• Make sure you know that you really are making a difference. We couldn’t come close to accomplishing our missions without our very valuable volunteers. Passionate people are the hearts and souls of our organizations.

Thanks again for considering giving your time to support one (or many!) of the great nonprofits in Door County. I hope you’ll choose to spend some of your time with us and you get the opportunity to find out firsthand why so many of your family, friends and neighbors have become part of the “feel good” world of volunteers.

Looking forward to seeing you!

~ A Very Grateful Nonprofit

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Check out the Volunteer Center website at volunteerdoorcounty.com or contact them at 920.746.7704 or [email protected].