Why Volunteer?'
One night last summer on the F Train to Manhattan, an attractive, gray-haired woman across from me was explaining to a friend why at 40 she’d quit her job as a lawyer to join the Peace Corp. “I just wanted to help people,” the woman said without irony or silliness. I scoffed to myself and rolled my eyes.
I don’t know this woman and I have no clue what she did during her years of service abroad or whether she “helped,” but in that statement I heard a an all too familiar mix of privilege and good intention–the widespread notion that well-off, educated people can just show up somewhere, hang out for a while, and the comfort of their lives will rub off on those less fortunate in some nondescript way. Never mind you have no skills or experience, you have time and money to spare and because of this you’ll be able to do good and in turn feel good.
Cynical, I know. Her decision is admirable, right? Deserving of thanks and goodwill. Plus there’s something amazing about working for free. Donating time transcends the limitations of labor and expectation. It feels good. Shit’s messed up. We should all do whatever we can to improve the quality of life around the world especially since we know government cannot be counted on to care for people in need.
Ideally, the woman on the F Train became even more compassionate, aware and connected to others after her time in the Peace Corp.
But did she actually help anyone other than herself?
The idea that I can volunteer and walk away self-satisfied though I haven’t made any actual impact drives me nuts. But then I have to ask, what does it mean to make a difference?
So here is the task: figure out why and how people volunteer–who they work with, who they claim to be helping and whether they succeed or not. At the same time, find out how to be a good volunteer, choose the right organizations and tasks, and make the most of donated time. The best way to do this is by offering up my own time, as often as I can, to as many different organizations as possible.
I’ve temporarily relocated from New York City to New Orleans, the locus of need, attention and aid in the US (though not necessarily the most truly in need US city), to volunteer building and rebuilding houses and serving the city’s homeless population. This blog is about what I learn through my experience and after endlessly pestering every volunteer coordinator, project manager, house captain, non profit staffer, homeowner, homeless person, and fellow volunteer I can find about how, or even if, I can help.