Responses
to June 2007 Hot Topic
Reclaiming
the true value of volunteers
Response
posted on 12th June 2007 by Kate Munro, Community
Education & Support Coordinator Lifeline Newcastle
& Hunter, Australia
Hi
Andy - don't you love reflecting!
"Am I being too harsh"....NO NO NO -like you I go
to quite a few conferences and events and spare me
from another pollie or CEO rolled out to say how wonderful
Volunteers are .....put your money where your mouth
is I say and pay managers a real wage and spend a
day with Volunteers doing the work
"Do
you agree or disagree".... AGREE of course
But
- there have been some amazing changes in the last
five years - Volunteers themselves are driving some
of these changes by asking Why? and questioning how
they are respected and valued -certificates and a
cup of tea just don't wash anymore!
The challenge will always be how to find a common
langauge that allows those people who fear Volunteers
(ie them) to communicate with the rest of the community
(ie us)
Keep up the fight Andy - you are not alone
Response
posted on 7th June 2007 by Sue Kobar, Coordinator
of Volunteers, Nurse Maude Association, Christchurch,
NZ
I
totally agree with you. Although I have seen improvement
in the training for volunteer program managers (VPM)
and recognition of volunteers there is still work
to be done. All too frequently training dollars are
used up by others in an organisation before consideration
is given to the VPM. I believe that increased awareness
of the huge contribution volunteers give locally,
nationally & internationally begins with a well
trained VPM who knows how to advocate volunteerism.
If we learn to speak out about the work we do and
the difference volunteers make in our organisation
then volunteerism will become contagious and everyone
will want to get involved; some may even consider
a career in volunteer program management.
I
become very agitated when I attend a conference for
VPMs and the 'outside' speaker refers to us as volunteers
because this sends me a message that they don't understand
volunteer management is a paid profession. The second
thing that frustrates me is when the outstanding work
of volunteers is lessened because the speaker is not
well informed. I'm sure it isn't intentional, but
there is a huge gap between their understanding of
what volunteers do and the reality of what is happening
in the community. If all volunteers ceased work tomorrow
(a horrifying thought) life as we know it would fall
apart. Volunteers are the heart of every country and
deserve respect.
While
we are moving forward in community awareness there
is still much to be done to show how much we value
the work of volunteers. Although I try to share the
specifics of how volunteers help our organisation,
I know that I can do better. Their skills, experience,
ability, kindness and energy inspire me daily.
Why
not be the first...
Let's
hear what you think!
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