Reliable and trustworthy volunteers are hard to find and even more
difficult to keep. When they do come along, cherish them as the angels
they are!!! Treat them like family, because they are!
Prior to starting Animals for Awareness, I'd spent at least 10 years
volunteering for various organizations. At 14 I started with
Misericordia for kids. At 16 I took on a nursing home. At 20 it was a
dog/cat shelter. Then at 25 I found myself in need of my own volunteers.
I've been on both sides of the fence and neither side is without its
problems. As a volunteer I was frequently frustrated that my voice
didn't seem to matter. Sometimes it felt as though the worst tasks were
saved for me or another volunteer. Let's face it! Volunteering can be
a thankless job. But, it doesn't have to be. It's up to both sides.
I, for one, am guilty of many infractions when it comes to keeping my
volunteers happy. First off, it's difficult to get your foot in this
door, right Doreen? I don't reply to volunteer inquiries by phone. If
they catch me, I don't want to talk about it right then. I'm too busy.
I'm too frustrated. Frankly, I've been burned by too many people and
quietly assume I've got another time-waster on my hands. Thank God that
Doreen was persistent and kept calling me until I gave in and let her
come by for a try-out. She's wonderful. She's one of the best
volunteers we've ever had!
Potential volunteers: It takes a lot of time to babysit and train new
volunteers. For a while, a newcomer actually adds to the work load. We
are already stressed, tired, crabby and burned-out before you arrive.
We're suspicious of newbies. And it's hair-pulling when you put in so
much time with the person only to have them stop coming cuz it wasn't
as much fun as they thought it would be!! Many volunteers walk in the
door and exclaim, "You're living my dream!!!" uh huh. After playing
with the animals and getting in the way for a couple weeks, off they go
to find a new dream. Do you know how often we wonder to ourselves when
the day will come that we need to cease operating because you aren't
there to help? We are completely dependent upon you! That's a very
scary, helpless feeling.
Volunteers are generous, caring, sensitive individuals. They give of
themselves freely - some giving more than they seem to have. They save
our butts over and over again. Volunteers have lives. That's a big one
to remember. What? You blew off scraping crap because of a family
gathering?? What kind of human being are you? Some of us live and
breathe our "animal work" 24/7. Finding a volunteer who is able and
willing to do the same is a rarity. It certainly shouldn't be expected.
When we take on additional burdens, remember that these are burdens also
to volunteers.
I have a fabulous crew right now! I call them my angels, because they
are angels. They range in age from 20 to 68. And you don't become part
of the family until you've been bitten by someone - preferrably an
animal. And each of them have battle scars they show off, such as Meg
who has a scar on her forehead from a sharp piece of hardened ferret poop
that got flung up and cut her. And Doreen had virgin arms before her
arrival. Now they're covered with small wounds in various stages of
healing - not all from animals. She also walks into trees. Then there's
Sally who proudly wears the sewn up jeans that also hide the rough play
scars from one of our wildcats Goliath. And Karen was recently
christened by a ferret and a fennec fox. Then there's Janett who was
mauled beyond recognition by a teddy bear hamster that was mid-escape.
I could go on... ;-)
Volunteers are the backbone of AFA. I think that's what some tend to
forget. Most shelters or other non-profit orgs simply WOULD NOT BE
without the dedication of their volunteers. They are the most important
people, at least they should be. If we can remember that, then part of
the battle is won. We need volunteers because we can't pay people to do
all the work. Most volunteers understand that. But there are lots of
things you can do to make volunteering for you a little more worthwhile.
Really. Seeing those cute little faces only goes so far.
Do not EVER let one volunteer leave before you say THANK YOU. It's
simple, but it does go a long way if you're sincere. When the same
people come time and time again, as an employee would, you take them
for granted. Stop it. Remind them verbally as often as you can how
important they are to what you're doing. Tell them what it would be like
without their help - not to guilt them into coming, but to give them a
concrete example of how much they're needed. "I'm so glad you're here.
If you weren't, we wouldn't be able to...." Thank them throughout the
day, specifically after a project.
Cut the crap! Boredom and mundane tasks kill brain cells. Ask me how I
know. Seriously, there's always so much to do at a shelter! Alternate
who does what or what gets done. If it means a skipped day of scooping
litter boxes to wash laundry, then so be it. Look at all the brain
cells just saved. Make a calendar of projects to make it easier to
rotate stuff.
Give them responsibility. Chief poop scooper is fine and dandy, but how
about "Volunteer Coordinator"? Head of Donation Procurement? Don't just
hand out titles, hand them the responsibilities that go along with them.
Give up control. You're probably not the only person who knows how to
do this. If you are and you get hit by a bus (or break your back getting
thrown from a bucking bronco), who will take over? Show others how to do
things and hand over the reins when you can. You don't need to feel
indispensible. If you are indispensible, your shelter is in serious
trouble.
Give them voices! Ask for opinions and ideas and listen with respect.
Take votes on certain matters. Get them involved in future plans. Also,
ask them what they'd like to be doing. While you are the leader and
need to keep things on track, it's also important to be flexible and also
openminded.
Consult with them. Before making any big change or decision, think about
how it would affect volunteers. If it does, talk to everyone about it to
make sure the majority is onboard. For example, my partner needed to
place a coy-dog right away. That would require erecting a large new
cage, laying heavy patio stones, and adding another big animal to clean
up after. After discussing the pros and cons of taking Jack with
volunteers, it was decided that we shouldn't take him on right now.
Without their input, I would've taken in him and put half the burden on
them to contain and care for him. Resentful volunteers don't stay for
long.
Meet regularly. Get together monthly or quarterly to discuss the
operations of the shelter. Allow them to air concerns and complaints.
This is a good time to incorporate the above. Groups e-mails are also
functional to recap what's going on.
Extra little somethings. Most shelters and the people who operate them
are already in dire straits financially. This is pretty much understood.
However, if you can afford it (and this isn't just about money), remember
your volunteers on important holidays and birthdays, even if you just
present a card! I frequently get skybox concert tickets from work, so I
rotate who I bring. Volunteer appreciation dinners or barbecues are lots
of fun! The concept is appreciative enough. Many volunteers will bring
pop or food. I know my volunteers pretty well, so I know many of their
likes. For example, Doreen loves our serval Ramsey. I just ordered and
received a cute $15 wooden serval welcome sign for her as a surprise.
(cats outta the bag now). Now all of the volunteers have one with their
favorite animal. I think of them all the time when I'm out. If I think
they'll like it, and I can afford it, I'll buy it for them. Gifts are
certainly not expected or required, but these simple gestures let them
know how much I appreciate them. I try to bring tokens back from
vacations as well. On days when they're here for many hours into the
night, I'll order pizza for them.
I adore my volunteers, but it's not a perfect family. Some are better at
certain things than others. We all have our quirks and quarrels, but
communication and respect are key to keeping the family going. My .02
Kim S
[Posted in FML issue 4213]
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