Since January 2009, I commit and write about my random acts of volunteerism.  What began as a New Year’s Resolution to get out from under my rock, turned into real fun as I began exploring volunteer opportunities available in and around Denver.  Feats daring, daunting, boring and challenging – I have been willing to lend a hand and try just about anything.  As I chronicle my way through schools for the blind and pay-what-you-can cafes, I hope I inspire readers to explore their communities and get involved. 

Eventually I branched out to exploring vacation hot spots (like Las Vegas, NV where twisted readers thought I was advocating more than pet adoption and Park City, UT where my husband feared I had set off with a serial killer).  Now my volunteer trajectory orbits  the D.C.-area. 

I have a few rules about my volunteering.  They are mostly private rules for my own comfort.  And, if I break a rule or two along the way, I answer to no one but myself.   But, today, I’m going to share my rules with you because I’m about to break another one.

Numbers One, Two and Three – I don’t write about any volunteering related to political, medical or religious causes.  That’s not to say that I’m not active in any of these areas.  I just don’t think that I need to lend my voice to groups which already have large volunteer resources.  My focus is on smaller, grassroots organizations (generally).  I broke the rule when one October I volunteered at the registration booth on race day for the National Kidney Foundation (and froze my butt off – you know what they say about karma…).  And I inadvertently broke it again when I showed up to be a tour guide at the Center for Experiential Lifelong Learning (CELL) which was a political cause in disguise (trauma induced by repeated terrorist attack simulations….). 

Number Four -   I only showcase a nonprofit that I actually volunteer for.  The opposite would be to write about a non-profit that someone invited me to observe and then expected me to highlight just because it was a worthy cause.  That’s not how I roll.  I need to be actively involved on at least one occasion.  So you never read about the Greyhound Adoption weekend because all I did was watch people pick up newly arrived dogs and pick the ticks out from between their toes.  Watching other people work isn’t my idea of being active in the community.

Number Five – My volunteer stints are suitable for anyone to do.  I receive no prior training.  The only time I spend with the non-profit is during my three to four hours of work.  I have no special talents other than a willingness to donate time and my two hands. 

Number Six – I don’t give money to any of the organizations.  I only donate time. 

Number Seven – My writing focuses only on my work unless other volunteers give me permission to mention them.  Early on, I was volunteering with one other gentleman.  He was “doing community service” while I was volunteering.  Identical jobs notwithstanding, our motivation was different.  He was on his lunch hour and what his boss didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. 

On the other hand, in real life, there are organizations I volunteer for frequently, not just once.  I don’t highlight that fact.  But one of the benefits of trying out new venues is that I get to know where I feel comfortable and what I enjoy doing.  For example, I became a regular volunteer for the S.A.M.E. Café.  I joined the board of directors for Socially Conscious Coffee.  I donate blood frequently, especially during the slow months of the year (July, August, November and December).

My March 2011 assignment was a virtual gig meaning I can do it from the comfort of my own home as long as I’m connected to the Internet.  It’s also one that I do regularly.   That will be my next post.  And that will be breaking rules number five and number eight.

Number Eight: I only write about nonprofits that are new to me.

So, in all, out of dozens of volunteers experiences, I have broken four out of eight rules.   OK – maybe they are just guidelines.