Volunteering // Current TV

Help Me Help Others

When I was a kid, my father had a little handy man business on the side that he called Elsewhere. His slogan was, "When you've tried everywhere else, try Elsewhere." That's sort of where I am in my life. I lost my main source of income the Friday before Thanksgiving in 2008. Since then I've applied and applied for jobs, I've pitched and pitched projects, but nothing wants to come my way other than a few hours of weekly freelance writing work. Across 10 states and several fields, I feel like I've tried everywhere else. So, now, I'm trying Elsewhere.

For me, Elsewhere involves creating my own opportunities to contribute to the greater good. It also requires cutting back my overhead expenses so that I can live within my minimal means. Thankfully, service is in my blood and the simplification process has been gradual over the past few years. I've pared down my belongings, trimmed my existence to the barest of bones. Now I'm ready to take the next big leap: buying an old motorhome to live in.

The first step on this journey of a thousand (or more) miles is to crowdfund the motorhome along with a few eco-friendly retrofits including solar panels and a compost toilet. Earlier this week, I launched an IndieGoGo campaign toward this end. Because I'm not one to ever expect – or solicit – something for nothing, my pitch is this: For every $20 someone contributes, I'll volunteer one hour of my time to help a charity organization do some fund-raising or content creation or whatever else they need me to do. That way, not only does each donation help put a roof over my head, it also indirectly goes toward helping a lot of others in more need than me.

And then it's go time! Living a location independent life demands that you plan really well and then let go. You can never harness the flow; you can only ride it. I'm a Taoist at heart and one of the verses in the Tao Te Ching states my life's ambition perfectly: "In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present."

I've made similar paradigm shifts in the past. In 2009, I sold off most of my stuff, packed up my Jeep Liberty, and hit the road with my dog. From Southern California, we headed north, visiting friends in San Francisco, California, Ashland, Oregon, Portland, Oregon, and Vashon Island, Washington. Then I hopped the border and landed at a WWOOF farm just outside Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island. I spent two wonderful months there just following the flow of the day, ticking tasks off my to-do list without stress or strain.

When a bit of restlessness set in – along with a yearning for my beloved Catskill Mountains – I set off on a cross-country jaunt to New York State just in time for the glorious eruption of fall foliage. After a few months there, I did a casual drive back to Southern California, stopping off in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Lake City, Arkansas. Car trouble forced me to, sadly, cancel plans to hit New Orleans, Louisiana, Houston, Texas, and Tucson, Arizona. Upon my less-than-triumphant return to SoCal, I was welcomed into a burgeoning little eco compound in Ventura which is where I've been for over a year-and-a-half.

Because of the high costs associated with driving a motorhome that gets a mere 10 miles per gallon (at best!) long distances, I'll likely keep to the West Coast on this latest adventure. Right now, I'm thinking my four bases will be WWOOF farms in Southern California, Northern California, Southern Oregon, and the Gulf Islands so long as I can find suitable places to park my life for a few months at a time.

I'll be documenting the adventure in a series of blog posts here. And, if I can pull it off the way I envision, I'm thinking Lao Tzu would approve. Close to the ground, simple, fair, generous, present... it's all in there.When I was a kid, my father had a little handy man business on the side that he called... more

spandadham
added this
5 months ago
|
1 comment

Fans Can Earn Tickets by Volunteering to Help Homeless Youth

FreeFest is back and tickets have “free’d-out” in just a few... more

3BLMedia
added this
7 months ago
|
0 comments

Why pay to volunteer?

Interesting blog post about the pros and cons of paying to volunteer internationally... more

mcmcmill2
added this
9 months ago
|
1 comment

Volunteering Zambia Lusaka Social Programs

Volunteering Zambia Lusaka Social Programs http://www.abroaderview.org

abroaderview_volunteers
added this
11 months ago
|
0 comments

Valentine’s Day Romantics Can Find Their Passion at VolunteerMatch

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, this week VolunteerMatch is marking the... more

3BLMedia
added this
12 months ago
|
0 comments

President's Volunteer Service Award given to 15 year old filmmaker

Alec Urbach has received this high honor for documentaries and social service work... more

NYFA1
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

"OPERATION_DREAM'S" Karin Olivo, An Inspirational Hero in the war against hunger..By:Christopher S. Cluney

"OPERATION DREAM" An organization that is dedicated to feeding POOR ORPHAN... more

Day2Day1nSociety
added this
1 year ago
|
3 comments

When Companies Steal The Social Capital Of Their Employees

Recently, I spoke with the manager of a large telecommunications company in the US. The company publicly boasts a healthy and active employee volunteering program, claiming a 200% growth in participation over the past 4 years. Needless to say, I wanted to learn more about it.

During the call, I discovered several things:

1. The company offers NO paid time for volunteering.
2. Employees who volunteer have to rack up over 50 hours of service to qualify for the Dollars for Doers program (the per hour dollar was about $15 - that’s not a lot if you’re wondering.)
3. The company plans no strategic volunteering events with the community. (However, employees do plan small, local activities.)
4. The company is not comfortable with spending money to promote volunteering (apparently, the logic behind this is "volunteering is free, so why should we invest money in it?"). They are currently using fliers in lunch rooms to raise awareness.
5. The main goal of the program for the upcoming year is to get more employees to log their volunteer hours with the company.

Now, I can deal with almost all of these poor corporate volunteering practices. I get that employee volunteering is a recent trend and it takes months, even years, to develop a well-functioning and robust program. I get that corporations cannot address every lacking area at once. I even get that it takes time to understand why employee volunteering is worth significant financial investment.

However, this company's claim to a 200% growth in volunteering over the past 4 years is absurd. Their focus is not on promoting volunteering; rather their focus is on convincing employees to log their personal volunteering time as that of the company's. This is theft - pure and simple.

A company ought only to count volunteering hours as their own when they are specifically investing in generating more volunteering among their employees. As far as I can tell, this company was doing nothing more than slapping employees on the back on the way home for the weekend, saying, "Don't forget to volunteer - and then hurry back to log it as company time!" Ridiculous.

If you’re wondering where your company stands, I'm posting a continuum we developed with Elaine Cohen in her new book "CSR for HR." It's important that you identify your place on the continuum - in order to avoid making a fool of yourself. Check it out here: (Click on the pic to enlarge)

http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/When-Companies-Steal-Social-Capital-Their-EmployeesRecently, I spoke with the manager of a large telecommunications company in the US.... more

3BLMedia
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

50,000 promised Olympic Jobs becomes 70,000 unpaid McVolunteers

Countless employers are now facing the problem of dealing with twenty three working... more

spectacle
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

ETOA claims Olympics are bad for tourism

The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) has warned that the 2012 Olympic games... more

spectacle
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

How many Vigilant employees does it take to build a house?

Habitat for Humanity is one of the most popular volunteer activities among Vigilant... more

3BLMedia
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Shooting Views: The Age of Accusations

A mother tells her daughter off on a bus, a father chastises his son for naughty... more

worldwrite
added this
1 year ago
|
4 comments

Measuring the Strength of Your Volunteer Program

I talk to companies every week about employee volunteer programs. It doesn’t seem to matter if the company is local business or a multi-national Fortune 500 corporation. Invariably the conversation begins with the question of how to get more employees to participate as volunteers. Next, we explore how the volunteering program fits within the company and what the outcomes have been so far. Finally, we talk about metrics. What is the data telling you? Usually, this brings us right back to the beginning of the conversation: participation rates and how to increase that number.
It makes sense that a successful corporate volunteer program is well attended by employees, but that’s not necessarily an indication of strength or sustainability. So in these conversations I try to share at least two alternative measures to use that get at the health of a volunteering program.

1. Motivation. Why are people volunteering?

Understanding the reasons why people participate is essential to discovering the program’s long term potential. When people volunteer for the first time, they are usually motivated extrinsically. This is completely normal. We all want to help; give back; make a difference. But if we’ve not volunteered before, we usually don’t “own” these motivations. Instead, they are extrinsic to our personal lives and they exist outside of us. They are not intimate. While extrinsic motivations are important, they are not deeply rooted in our personalities.
Eventually, if volunteering programs are designed well, people will begin to discover their intrinsic motivations for volunteering. Intrinsic motivations are tied to our sense of self. This kind of motivation is connected to who we are. It is essential that people transition from a general sense of ‘it’s the right thing to do’ to highly personal reasons. Why? Obviously the more we are personally invested, the greater our commitment. The question isn’t, “How many people are showing up?” but rather, “How much of each person showed up.”

http://3blmedia.com/theCSRfeed/Measuring-Strength-Your-Volunteer-Program#I talk to companies every week about employee volunteer programs. It doesn’t... more

3BLMedia
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

The Heart of A Volunteer

James DeCocq, candidate for Florida House of Representatives, District 33 thanks his... more

NJCCorp
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Abingdon Resource and Wellbeing Centre

Situated next to the beautiful surroundings of Abbey Meadow, set back from Audlett... more

mischiefshazza
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Pittsburgh wins national grant to increase citizen service

Public demand for social services has been increasing as the recession deepens. That... more

patomalley
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Oil Spill Volunteers - Cleanup in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama

PHOTO: Forecast location of the spill at 1800 CDT on Saturday 5/1/2010. The red color... more

julesrs007
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Volunteering for a better world

Show the LGBTQ community you care today by volunteering your time! To learn more,... more

transreporter
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

Travel Hacking: Smart Ways to See the World

Full time travel doesn’t have to be expensive, and after two years on the road,... more

worrg
added this
1 year ago
|
0 comments

NLN Get Outside Day

Help us celebrate the Natural Leaders Network and your personal connection with the... more

xandrew
added this
1 year ago
|
1 comment

select your country

Community Spotlight

TAGS

tagged w/ Volunteering

top videos

find current on tv

find current online

recent comments

© 2012 Current TV, LLC All Rights Reserved

the basics

follow us online

tools

stay in touch

© 2012 Current TV, LLC
All Rights Reserved