Volunteering in the Community
Volunteering is a great way to determine your interests and it gives you a way to give back to the
community while finding your path.
What is volunteering? Who's a volunteer?
There are many definitions, but no universal agreement. The following is what Energize uses as a
working definition for their Web site.
Volunteer, verb - To choose to act in recognition of a need, with an attitude of social responsibility and
without concern for monetary profit, going beyond one's basic obligations.
This definition is from the Introduction to By the People: A History of Americans as Volunteers by Susan
J. Ellis and Katherine H. Campbell. But it is not enough to only consider the verb form. Add the noun
form, too:
Volunteer, noun – from the perspective of the doer: Someone who gives time, effort and talent to a need
or cause without profiting monetarily.
Volunteer, noun – from the perspective of the recipient of service: Someone who contributes time, effort
and talent to meet a need or further a mission, without going on the payroll.
Graduation Requirements:
20 hours per semester/40 hours per year
Links to local organizations:
http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/index.jsp?r=msa&l=28480
http://wilmington.insiderinfo.us/volunteer
http://capefearvolunteercenter.org/
http://uncw.edu/stuaff/leadserv/documents/CommunityServiceDirectoryOct091.pdf
A word about choosing a volunteer position from Cape Fear Volunteer Center:
You’ve got skills. You’ve got talent. You have a desire to serve in your community. But maybe you just
don’t know where to start to find your dream volunteer position. Here’s some tips to help you find it.
Know what you’re looking for.
Do you want to work with youth? Do you want to be a mentor? A tutor? A leader? Someone to show them
that things aren’t as bad as they seem? Make sure you have an idea how you’d like to volunteer before
you contact a specific nonprofit about an opportunity. It will help you to find something that you’ll be happy
doing. If you don’t know what you want to do, though, there are plenty of ways to try out some different
things while you’re looking for that perfect volunteer position. In Wilmington NC the Cape Fear Volunteer
Center is your local Hands On Action Center and is a great place to start finding volunteer opportunities.
You can even start your own volunteer project if you’re not sure what you’re looking for.
Know what an organization is looking for.
Call the organization that you want to volunteer with and see if you can set up some time to talk to the
volunteer manager. They’ll be able to tell you everything you’d want to know about the program, and
probably some things you didn’t even think to ask. Try to find out if there’s any kind of volunteer
orientation that you can attend before committing to serve with the organization. You’ll be able to get an
idea about what the organization is looking for this way. If you can talk to a volunteer that does the same
kind of work, do it. You’ll get another perspective on the type of work you’ll be doing, and if it’s really the
right position for you. For assistance call CFVC at 910-392-8180
ACTIVITY
Which one of the groups that you researched from the links above do you feel is a good fit for you and
why? Set up a plan to contact at least 1 volunteer coordinator from a local organization that interests you.
On the index card provided, write the name of the organization and the contact information as well as
when you plan to begin your individual volunteering on the front and a brief reflection about how you feel
you would be able to contribute to the organization and why on the back and give it to your Advisor.