Volunteering is a Two-Way Street
So we’re all proud of ourselves over this article that says that we in the TC have the highest rate of volunteerism in all the land. That is really pretty awesome. Our flagship corporate darlings are pretty good about sponsoring and supporting the volunteer efforts of their employees, both on company time and off. I’m sure there are plenty of other companies that do the same. And we’re helpful like that in our own right.
But what about this part?
”Volunteering has a leaky bucket,” said Robert Grimm, an author of the report. ”Many times people drop out because the activities are not challenging enough or they’re not substantial enough.”
Or how about when you try to volunteer with an organization and they don’t accept your help? I know someone who has made numerous phone calls over the course of several weeks to OutFront Minnesota. And she hasn’t heard back a peep from them.
Now maybe they’re so short-staffed and underfunded that they’re cutting back in their volunteer coordination department. But I would think someone at least would acknowledge the call and say, “Hey, we’re really busy. Thanks for your interest we’ll get back to you as soon as we get a chance.”
Instead, they just lost a volunteer.
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OutFront Minnesota is sorry to hear that someone had an experience of phoning our offices to volunteer but didn’t hear back. While we are unaware of the details, we assure readers of this blog that this is not a common experience.
Each year we work with 250 to 300 volunteers who enjoy and are challenged by the volunteer work they do in the service of struggling for equality for the state’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.
OutFront Minnesota volunteers do data entry, stuff envelopes, make calls to get participants to OutFront Minnesota’s justFair Lobby Day, plan special events, staff Twin Cities Pride Festival booth and other Prides around the state, table and leaflet at GLBT establishments, serve on special committees, and so on. We love our volunteers! They’re an integral part of our infrastructure.
We encourage any and all supporters of GLBT rights to call our Volunteer Manager at 612-822-0127 ext. 100 to offer their time for volunteering.
Jo Marsicano
Communications Director
OutFront Minnesota
Thanks, Jo, for your response. I’ll make sure that info gets passed along.
Strangely coincidentally, my friend got both an email and a phone call very shortly after the above comment was posted. Which strangely got left very shortly after the post went up. OutFront must be watching out for themselves pretty closely.
She might still volunteer anyway.