Volunteerism's many benefits include expanded social and professional
networks, new-skill building, and community enhancement. And it just
plain feels good. So, it's no surprise that job seekers who might feel
discouraged and frustrated would have much to gain in taking on
volunteer roles.
That's the thinking behind a
new effort at the
Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration (MAVA), a statewide organization that acts as a resource around volunteerism.
The
group recently did a survey on volunteer trends and found that there's
been a significant rise in volunteerism among people looking for work.
That shift makes sense, since job seekers tend to have time to spare and
can expand their networks that way. Recent college graduates have
always been part of the volunteer pool, but now, MAVA is seeing more
volunteerism among those who've been laid off.
The group also has
distinct needs, believes Mary Quirk, MAVA's Volunteer Resources
Leadership Project Manager, since people tend to take on short-term
projects and have unpredictable schedules. In order to create a more
positive volunteer experience on both sides, MAVA has worked to create
more tools and resources for organizations that bring job seekers into
their environments.
"When people are laid off, volunteering can
make a lot of difference for them," says Quirk. "They might volunteer to
learn skills like project management, for example. Beyond that, they're
getting assurance that their work has value, which is something they
might not have been feeling otherwise. Job loss is a depressing
experience, and volunteering can bring people back to a place of
strength and confidence."
To help organizations draw more job
seekers as volunteers, MAVA created a toolkit, which is offered for free
on its website. The resource helps an organization to understand the
dynamics of job seekers and gives tips for volunteer roles and tasks
that work well with that particular group. MAVA also put together a
workshop on the topic that it will be bringing to different parts of the
state.
Source: Mary Quirk, MAVA
Writer: Elizabeth Millard