Friday 9 December 2011

Volunteering Woes

I don't know about the rest of you but volunteering has been ingrained in my mind as something that is vital. That's what they taught me in school and all the "amazing" students were doing it. Well, it's vital if you want to contribute to your community and look like a good person.

Or buffer your resume with....

This term I was asked by a friend to join an administrative part of student group that helped with giving English lessons on Saturdays. Generally foreigners and international students sign up for classes of various levels so they can learn to better read, speak and write English.

Yeah, I had to up early on a Saturday morning but I usually didn't mind. It means I get another opportunity to see old classmates who are in completely different programs from myself. And I do try to keep in touch with people.

They tell me that things are usually hectic, especially for the admins. But due to some problems with Student Services we weren't able to operate at full capacity in the Fall. Things were kind of dead a lot of the times. I'll be honest, most days I'd only have 1 or 2 things to do then I'd derp around.

Actually next term, we won't be allowed to operate at all.

Wat.

Yeah, Student Services doesn't consider us a student group anymore despite the group being over 30 years old. I think some obscure line in the Terms of Service applies to us and now they have to put us on hiatus until further notice.

Until things are fixed I'll most likely be volunteering with the local Humane Society next term. Not that I mind, most of the animals seem to really appreciate being let out of their kennels for some fresh air and be able to run around for a bit.

When your home is this big at best, I'm not surprised.

And of course, Theresa has wanted a dog for a while. If any Yorkies or Corgis are found, maybe I can work something out.

61 comments:

  1. Volunteering is always good, I always want to help out animals, but the local humane society makes me depressed. Way too much volume of animals that never get homes.

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  2. I used to volunteer at the ASPCA

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  3. They made me do "volunteer" work in high school, it was well over a decade ago and I am still pissed.

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  4. I should help generalness out more often. I always help with people who ask or with family/family friends, but not just general people I don't even know, or animals even. It feels nice, I want to.

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  5. I've been a volunteer English teacher in Vietnam. It was very rewarding and lots of fun.

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  6. Corgis are the bestest! 8D
    But have fun at the Humane Society. I've always been interested in doing that kind of work, but my allergies won't permit it. :C

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  7. I suppose this does sound quite appealing buddy, I can't even see how it's woeful. You do a great service volunteering for this so be proud of yourself as opposed to anything else man.

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  8. I'm really glad you've stopped helping humans and are instead going to help animals.

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  9. That sounds kind of stupid that they don't consider it a student group anymore. Oh well sure the animals will be glad to see you.

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  10. That really stinks. Most of the volunteering programs at my school didn't have to do that much with my actual school... but my school definitely tried to take away a lot of programs.

    I've never left any clothes in a hotel room... Gotta be careful!

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  11. I prefer helping animals than humans, haha.

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  12. I volunteer for loads of groups, it is always worth doing.

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  13. I tried volunteering once, but they couldn't afford to have me around :(

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  14. Volunteering is a must in my opinion, especially while you've got the free time to do it. I certainly missed a trick by not taking part in it while I was still at uni. Impossible now that I am well and truly in-bedded in the rat race.

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  15. Sorry to hear that. Volunteering is ingrained in me as well.

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  16. Good luck on being a volunteer! :)

    -rick

    http://florathemostawesomegoddess.com

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  17. I dunno, I don't want to sound like a bad person, but I was never into the whole volunteering thing. Capitalism ftw.

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  18. I'd volunteer at an animal center :D

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  19. I did a volunteering 'gig' once back in my undergrad days... while it was a fun event for the people we were helping out, it made me feel rather depressed thinking about them and how their daily lives were.

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  20. Making me feel a bit guilty, I havnt done any volunteering for years. I'm at a point in my life were i have the time I guess...I would work at a soup kitchen but I would probably just eat the soup.

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  21. Volunteering is only good if you enjoy doing it. I don't enjoy doing much, so this volunteering stuff just isn't for me.

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  22. volunteering makes you feel better about yourself and makes other people feel better about you too :)

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  23. definitely get some first pick on animals if you volunteer :)

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  24. That's annoying, but sounds like you found a good solution. Volunteering was big in high school, but it was more about getting into honor society or putting it on your college applications than actually doing something good. Annoying.

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  25. Sorry to hear the volunteering thing isn't working out. The Humane Society should be a really good one though, I'd love to do that. Persevere and you might find something good. Hope things turn out well and yeah we decorated our campus, but we have to take them all down before we all go home :( xxx

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  26. I don't do it so often but I appreciate the people who do it, seriously.

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  27. They always point at their "Terms of Service" and say nope you're not allowed, didn't you read it?

    I've had my fair share of volunteering in YMCA, if there ever was a "next time" I'm going to get paid for that stint.

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  28. always nice to see helping the community! good luck with the volunteering!

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  29. I used to volunteer with animals, but then I just got too attached to them most of the time. It was especially hard when they had to be.... lets call it given away.

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  30. If I volunteered at the Humane Society, I would end up one of those animal hoarders on the 6 o'clock news, my house overrun with my "adoptions." Kudos to you!!!

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  31. I've volunteered once for Malta red cross. But it wasn't for me :/ Yeah I would like to help ppl, but not that way.

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  32. Great that you'll be volunteering, nice for the animals to get out too.

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  33. I love to volunteer and animal shelters are wonderful places. That is really too bad about the group. I can't believe that they could not have worked something out. Sometimes school admin people just have their collective heads up a certain orifice. Good luck with the volunteering and in the search for a Yorkie or Corgi.

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  34. i wouldn't mind volunteering for the Humane Soceity too.
    it may not be so much fun with all that cleaning sometimes but working with animals can be therapeutic.

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  35. Well I'm sure you guys will make some Yorkie very happy.

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  36. only volunteer if they pay ya for it eh ^^

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  37. i've work for an "asbl" (association without lucratif goal) i have to distribute food for homeless and other...

    i've stopped after 3 aggressions

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  38. I wouldn't have minded volunteering so much in college if I'd gotten paid for it.

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  39. That's really great. Just to let u know if you are interested king coconut is sweet and not like coconut.
    www.thoughtsofpaps.com

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  40. hi, glad to meet you. volunteering saved my spirit for a couple years when i could find no work. i used to be a daily newspaper reporter and now i am writing about my volunteering experiences, with my time at my local animal shelter coming out soon, hopefully. i gained experiencial (sic) knowledge about public policy i would not have otherwise gained. but i was, truth be told, probably clinically depressed for the couple years i volunteered. it was hard feeling like an outcast without a job. i'm better now, though i still don't have full time work. volunteering was worthwhile, but it was a rock bridge to somewhere. i guess i plan to see where it leads me:)

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  41. That sucks. Although I have to say the humane society could use more help! Good luck with that and your soon to be new pet. Don't skwark about it.. You know you'll bring one home and make Theresa happy.

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  42. I've volunteered many times in my community. I really enjoy it and the feeling of contributing it brings.
    I also volunteered for the Navy more than 35 years ago for a 4 year hitch.
    4 which turned to 27. What a ride that turned out to be.

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  43. I've never done that, but seems good.

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  44. I hope the volunteering at the Humane Society goes well! :)

    Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  45. I'm just to lazy. :$

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  46. I always say, "one man's loss is another man's gain" in this case, the animals for sure will gain from your volunteering. Just keep the faith and in the end it'll all pay off. Very rewarding indeed.

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  47. Good for you for volunteering on a regular basis. That is absolutely horrible what the school did by disbanding your language group. SPCA is a great place to volunteer.

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  48. Good for you working there. I would; but I can't. I'd become one of those crazy little old ladies with 73 dogs.

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  49. Are you seeing budget cuts in Canadian universities? Could just be looking for excuses to cut some funds. We've had some similar movements at my institution here in the States, though most of the rearrangement effects have been felt at the top.

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  50. Volunteering is always good. Especially if you have the time. I try and volunteer sometimes at my kids school.

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  51. i think you have a nice they, thanks for share

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  52. Volunteering is god to help fill your resume.

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