Conscious Choice: DO IT!

November 1996

DO IT!

by Ann R. McGregor

As the holiday season approaches, many of us get ready to give our annual gifts to our favorite organizations and charities. Some of us toy with volunteering for soup kitchens, shelters, and gift-giving schemes — and find those moments the brightest of the season. You don’t have to wait for the holidays, though. You can give of yourself year-round, as a volunteer.

People volunteer for many reasons: conviction about a particular issue, social needs, self-improvement or educational goals, networking for career opportunities, or court assigned community service. Whatever the reason, volunteers can provide valuable service and energy and in return can develop a deep sense of personal satisfaction from helping to make a difference.

Volunteering can be lots of fun and very fulfilling — once you have taken the leap. Are you ready and willing, but daunted by the vastness of the field? Start by making a visit or call to the organizations below.

The Chicagoland Environmental Network, located at Brookfield Zoo and staffed by Laura Jasiek, is an environmental clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities, internship possibilities, job postings, and calendar listings of events happening in and around Chicago. Environmental organizations need all sorts of volunteer help — especially since they are desperately understaffed and underfunded. You don’t have to have special skills or expertise to volunteer for an environmental group — they’ll let you answer the phone, stuff envelopes, or research issues at the library or on the Internet. If you are concerned about the environment and have particular skills that would benefit an environmental organization, the Chicagoland Environmental Network can help match your skills with an organization in need. Call them at 708-485-0263.

CASA stands for Court-Appointed Special Advocate program. Superior Court Judge David Soukup of Seattle, Washington, founded casa in 1977. Judge Soukup saw children who were victims of the court system; children who fell through the cracks of social service organizations — the very agencies which were intended to protect the children. casa now has branches in every state and a corps of over 37,000 volunteers who act as advocates for children in the legal system. A casa volunteer is assigned to one child and stays with the case as it winds its way through the courts, which can take up to two years. casa volunteers receive an intensive 24 hours of training and are assigned to cases which are most appropriate to the individual; they are not allowed to request specific cases, however. What does it take to be a casa volunteer? Time, patience, compassion, and it’s a real help these days if you’re bilingual. If you are one of the many who are deeply concerned about the future of our children, especially those who have been abused or neglected, you can make a big difference by joining casa. In Chicago call 312-986-9591.

One of the most popular volunteer activities is helping out in shelters and food pantries. During the holiday season it means so much to try to make those who have sought shelter feel a little bit warmer inside. At Rainbow House‘s shelter for women and children who have been victims of domestic violence, volunteers help organize many holiday activities such as a Halloween party, Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Day activities. Gifts are exchanged, songs sung, and stories told. The women and children at Rainbow House receive an abundance of gifts and good wishes for a better coming year. To volunteer in a domestic violence shelter, you must complete 40 hours of training, as well as a mandatory background check and confidentiality agreement. If your cause is domestic violence, but you aren’t certain you can make a commitment to the training, there are many other ways to help these agencies through fundraising events, speaking engagements, or clerical and computer assistance. Call Chris Rini at 312-521-5501 for more information about volunteering at Rainbow House.

If any of these places fire you up, give them a call or drop by to check them out. If they’re not “the ones,” consider your interests and needs. Think about what you are good at and what you would like to invest your spare time pursuing. Research various organizations and interview them — talk to them about their volunteer program and where they need the most help. Be honest with yourself about why you want to volunteer and be sure to share that information with the agency you decide to work with. Most importantly, remember to take your commitment to the organization seriously — they are counting on you!

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