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Greater DC Cares wants you to get the most out of your volunteer experience. Here are some things to think about as you choose a volunteer opportunity.
1. Consider issues or causes that are important to you.
Greater DC Cares works with seven key issue areas: Affordable Housing; Environment; People Living with Disabilities; Elderly; People affected by HIV/AIDS, Hunger & Homelessness; and Children & Families. Think about what issues are most important to you. For example, if you’re interested in the environment, you may want to volunteer with Community Harvest’s Urban Oasis. We offer a wide variety of projects to keep our volunteers interested and active.
2. Determine what sorts of situations work best for you.
Some projects provide direct interaction with clients, while others provide the opportunity to clean rivers or sort food at the Capital Area Food Bank. Some projects don’t offer you the chance to meet the recipients of the fruits of your labor, but are just as vital. Think about what suits you best.
3. Don’t over-volunteer.
We don’t want you to become frustrated, exhausted or over-volunteered. If you’re unsure about the amount of work involved, feel free to ask questions about how much time is expected of the average volunteer. Or, if you want to “test drive” an organization before you make more of a commitment, that’s fine, too. Determine how much time you have to commit and see what options best fit your schedule.
4. Attend a volunteer orientation.
Attending a Greater DC Cares orientation is the quickest way to become an active volunteer. At orientation, you’ll learn about our many volunteer opportunities and receive a monthly calendar of events. And we’ll learn about your interests, so we can steer you in the right direction. You’ll also get the chance to mingle with other new volunteers. Weekly orientations are approximately one hour in length and are Metro accessible.
5. Bring along your family.
Greater DC Cares is proud to offer family-friendly programs throughout the month. These projects are open to families; some are happy to have children as young as 5 years old. This is a great opportunity to spend time together, as well as to instill the importance of community service in your children.
6. Involve your business.
By getting involved in volunteering, your business can help recruit and retain employees, increase its visibility and create valuable networking opportunities by connecting your business with the needs of the community. Greater DC Cares offers a number of programs through which your business can involve its employees. Join a growing league of companies that choose to enhance their bottom lines by connecting strategically to the community through volunteerism and other forms of philanthropy.
7. Put your skills and expertise to good use.
Greater DC Cares has a pro-bono consulting program that will let you help nonprofits expand their capacity in various ways. Many non-profits do not have the funding to fulfill all of their needs. This is where your volunteering comes into play. Perhaps you are a Web developer or a carpenter. You can use your skills to help out our community service partners!
8. Consider your own goals. Before embarking on any new life experiences, it's important to take a few minutes and think about what you hope to gain. There are many obvious reasons to give back to your community, but in what capacity would you like to do so? Do you want to sharpen your leadership skills and become a Project Coordinator? Would you like to offer your skills as a pro-bono consultant? Would you like to do hands-on projects like cleaning parks or preparing meals for homebound individuals? Or do you simply want to spend more time learning about the issues that are important to you? Volunteering feels great, but it’s also important that you get all that you can out of your time commitment. Combining your goals allows you to do so. We’re here to assist.
For More Information
E-mail or call 202-777-4447. We’re here to help!
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