VOLUNTEERING

Why would you do this?

Have you ever done something for nothing? You know, given your time freely without any financial recompense? If yes, skip to the end – you understand. If no, read on so that you might be inspired to put your hand up to help others.

I’ve just spent another weekend giving my time up for free. Thursday night, I coordinated a bunch of locals to put on the first of this summer’s regular pizza nights. (I’ve written about this before in these pages. Issue #200 – People). Friday, I was setting up the PA at the local hall for the following night, which was a bush dance raising funds for a range of local community groups. I grew up earbashed by bush bands (my mum played in one) and I now suffer greatly while listening to widdly-diddly-dee type music. I still took one for the team, because the band were lovely to deal with, they were all good players, the punters loved it, and we raised a heap of money.

Sunday, it was back into town to suit up in firey gear and drive the CFA truck to a festival market, where we entertained a brace of kids by letting off the sirens and squirting hoses. I then went back to the hall and cleaned up from the previous night. Just as we were pointed towards home, the siren went off, so trucks of volunteers in yellows were duly dispatched for an afternoon cleaning up someone else’s mess. Today (Monday) is rest day from community work, so I am here writing for you (working for coin). Tomorrow night, I’ll be chairing a meeting of the committee that coordinates the venue where we share pizza.

Formal/Informal

Now, I don’t always have the energy or time that this festival weekend demands but I do regularly give my existence to neighbourhood ventures. This can be defined as formal volunteering. Informal contributing happens more spontaneously – I’ve been known to open the odd door for random folks before. Smiling at a shopkeeper costs nothing and brings great joy to all. Helping an old dear with her shopping bags is also free yet rewarding.

Out here in the country, emergency services are mostly volunteer staffed. As are many other community causes, such as Rotary, CWA, Men’s Sheds, and more.

But, in the city, there is also plenty of opportunity to give your time: to your place of worship, your children’s school (helping out with a fete, concert, or fundraising sausage sizzle), or any other local group. The most common of these is via a sporting club. You can coach, cater, referee, or help administer a club. Not only will it help support the activities of the organisation, it will also win you kudos with the other club members.

Offering your professional production experience or using your industry contacts to swing a sweet deal on PA or lighting can make a big difference to a community event.

Environmental and Climate Change organisations also rely heavily on donated labour. Activities include conservation, rehabilitation, and adaption. Many hours are given to tree planting, threatened species protection, land management, clean-up, wildlife rescue, recycling, education and citizen science.

Representative industry bodies are another great avenue to give something back.

I’m sure that CEDIA, Meetings & Events Australia, ARCA, CrewCare, ACETA and AVIXA would all welcome your input.

There are many benefits in volunteering. You can establish new connections, increase your skills, make new friends, learn to understand others better, and end up with improved physical and mental health and wellbeing. And that’s just what ‘you’ get out of it. Those that rely on the services and handouts that such organisations provide will be forever grateful for your efforts.

Downsides to Donating Your Presence

There is little doubt that gifting your services can be a real time suck, taking you away from work or family commitments.

And, not only is it unpaid but it often takes a financial commitment or, at the very least, you can incur out of pocket expenses that you’ll never see reimbursed. As such, it is often not attractive to those already struggling financially.

Volunteer numbers have copped a real hit during and since lockdowns. According to Volunteering Australia (1), the formal volunteering rate went from 29.5% pre- pandemic to 24.8% in 2020. It was already down from 32.1% in 2010.

I’ve noticed similar trends in the organisations that I support. It’s becoming much harder to find willing bodies.

Conversely, I’ve also learned to be much more selective with which roles I take on, particularly after recent health scares. I can see the problem with the broader public not wanting to get involved.

It can be a lot of hard work too. Overnight, one of the committees imploded and I am now scrambling frantically to pick up the pieces. As chair, it is incumbent on me to find a solution and I am madly calling, visiting and trying to keep everyone calm as we resolve our current dilemma. None of us get paid to go through this grief. Ultimately though, we do it for the greater good.

Which is why I will persevere until we find a solution to this current mess.

Pro Bono and Self- Righteousness

Eight years ago, at the wake after my father- in-law Rob’s funeral, I was chatting with the husband of a family friend. His name is Steven and he is a senior lawyer in a busy commercial firm. I asked him if he’d ever done any pro bono work and he replied: “No way. My time is too important for that”. Somewhat stunned, I took a deep breath and let him have it: “What makes you more important than anyone else? I don’t care how many letters you have after your name, all you do is take! You are a greedy, selfish excuse for a human being. Rob would have been appalled.” I honestly don’t care how offended Steven felt, either then or now.

Rob’s youngest daughter Dana is my dear partner of 23 years. She recently wrote a short piece for the local newsletter on why she joined the CFA:

“The rewards of volunteering have been surprisingly immense. The comradery shared on the truck, helping people in challenging times, seeing other parts of the country, being part of a team and making a difference are some of the benefits. Pushing beyond my comfort zone and putting all the training into effect has helped me grow personally.”

I am very proud of her efforts in helping others and thoroughly support her in doing CFA and other community endeavours.

The tricky bit is ensuring we both continue to make time for each other and ourselves. Which we generally succeed at.

So, Why Volunteer?

Because you care about more than just yourself. Because you get something back from giving. Because no-one else is going to do it.

Because you give a damn. That’s why.

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(1) https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/ wp-content/uploads/Volunteering-Australia-%E2%80%93-Navigating-change-and-charting- a-new-course-volunteering-in-recent-times.pdf