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]