On being a Volunteer

[forward]

On being a Volunteer or the act of it is new to you.

Are you contributing in whatever way you can as a
volunteer in any organisation or association?

Are you thinking of the giving and being connected
with the community of your choice or otherwise?

What are your reasons of not wanting to be a
volunteer? Your generous views are welcome.

 

[limwhow]

Hello, forward.
You have raised a good thread.
And I would like to point out that here we are discussing Volunteering and not Charity (as in Donating). Right?

A timely thread. But then again, when has discussions on this topic been not timely?
This is a very personal issue, I feel.
Never a right or wrong.

Volunteers would lament that members of the society who have means are not contributing back.
Non-volunteers would complain that the demands of living give them no opportunity to do so.

 

[Ian]

I've been volunteering with a variety of organisations since the mid 1970s, including a community welfare organisation that I'm currently a director of.
It's my way of giving back a bit to the less fortunate in all societies and something I urge all professionally employed people to do, even if it's just a couple of hours a week manning a soup kitchen for the homeless.

There is a damn sight more to life than photography and making shed loads of money folks!

 

[aryanto]

I'even if it's just a couple of hours a week manning a soup kitchen for the homeless.

Is there one over here? I know some temple has one but all people volunteer there are aunties and I cannot talk with them. :sweat:

I had volunteered for 3 years almost every saturday while studying in Melbourne. I helped cut veggies and peel potato for Sacret Heart Mission in St. Kilda, during lunch time got chance to chitchat with the homeless people and learn a thing or two about them, witness some fight (drunk men) etc. Also get chance to interract with people who got sent there due to social work order (mostly cos they cannot pay the fine for traffic related offences)

What is good is that they accept volunteers even they are not Christian (I am not) unlike some "Army".

 

[Ian]

Is there one over here? I know some temple has one but all people volunteer there are aunties and I cannot talk with them. :sweat:

I had volunteered for 3 years almost every saturday while studying in Melbourne. I helped cut veggies and peel potato for Sacret Heart Mission in St. Kilda, during lunch time got chance to chitchat with the homeless people and learn a thing or two about them, witness some fight (drunk men) etc. Also get chance to interract with people who got sent there due to social work order (mostly cos they cannot pay the fine for traffic related offences)

What is good is that they accept volunteers even they are not Christian (I am not) unlike some "Army".

The Salvos will take anyone, same with the Red Cross who run soup kitchens on wheels for the homeless etc. Lots of young volunteers here in Perth working on that particular outreach programme. Then there's mentoring youth at risk, the "big brother" "big sister" programmes, community visitors scheme (where people visit old people in nursing homes), hospital visitors schemes (visiting people in hospital who have no family) and so on. All of those are national programmes in Australia. If Singapore hasn't got their equivalents as yet then it's time for some civic minded uni-students or social workers to get on the SG Governments case to implement them.

 

[aryanto]

The Salvos will take anyone.

May be they have changed for the better, when I approached them some 15+ years ago they are not yet. Good improvement :thumbsup:

If Singapore hasn't got their equivalents as yet then it's time for some civic minded uni-students or social workers to get on the SG Governments case to implement them.

I am not so sure. I find myself very occupied with work now compared during my study, and that is not even taking family time (I am still single so family time is really very short - making phonecall to my parents). I have work even sometimes during saturday and sunday.

 

[limwhow]

I am not so sure. I find myself very occupied with work now compared during my study, and that is not even taking family time (I am still single so family time is really very short - making phonecall to my parents). I have work even sometimes during saturday and sunday.

You know, it's really a commitment.

Being a volunteer means that come rain or shine, same time every week, you will be there. Of course, we are also human.
Some times work becomes especially demanding, some times we face our own set of problems, and some times we are just not our usual self.
Still, we just have to be there for those whom we have dedicated ourselves.
It is no less a dedication than your full time work.

I occasionally questioned myself why am I doing that (when my peers can go and play golf and enjoy themselves).
But only a fleeting thought it was. At the end of the day, I look back at these 11 years. And I find it probably meant a little to those old people that I go to.

Aryanto, actually there are many a VWO (Voluntary Welfare Organisations) in Singapore that you can volunteer your services to. You will be very welcomed.

 

[ed9119]

essentially do it without expecting anything in return

 

[limwhow]

essentially do it without expecting anything in return

Yupe. Certainly, and well said.
A good and constant dose of altruism will definitely put one in good stead to trod down this path of volunteerism.

 

[Lady Ice]

essentially do it without expecting anything in return

I expect to feel that I have helped even if it is a little
I expect to meet like minded people no matter what age
And depending on what I do, I might learn a thing or two
For without this type of return
The time I will give, will be of concern

 

[Lady Ice]

BTW Aryanto - if you want to do something

- with people - lots of homes are looking for volunteers to visit old people, to guide delinquents, to help disabled, etc, etc

- for the local environment - check on the SEC website http://www.sec.org.sg/secvolunteers

 

[forward]

Style of Volunteerism
l
Many thanks to limwhow,
Ian, aryanto, ed9119, Lady Ice and
all who are following this thread.

Your humbleness and honesty bring
many a thoughful praise to those
who thought we are mindless in our
very little small engagement.


When we are intentionally made differently,
why should everyone who volunteer be
expected to render their services the same way?

There are those who confront evil, battling injustice,
and trying very hard to make the world a better place
to live in.

Many get their satisfaction through rituals, symbols
and unique man-made structures while the more
intellectuals go about searching and studying with
their minds.

You could be one in the above though Volunteerism
can never be overuse if you do not stop.

 

[night86mare]

On being a Volunteer or the act of it is new to you.

i was actually talking to a friend on all these overseas programmes that we see, where loads of funds are raised to send like a group of people to like, build a shack there, open a little school..

sometimes i wonder, whether the volunteers in such cases are doing more of a hindrance than being of help. after all, the funds could incur less wastage, i.e. save all the airfare to the place, they can do it themselves.

but i suppose there is a fear of misuse of funds, etc. and one might argue that some help is done is better than none at all.

 

[Ian]

i was actually talking to a friend on all these overseas programmes that we see, where loads of funds are raised to send like a group of people to like, build a shack there, open a little school..

sometimes i wonder, whether the volunteers in such cases are doing more of a hindrance than being of help. after all, the funds could incur less wastage, i.e. save all the airfare to the place, they can do it themselves.

but i suppose there is a fear of misuse of funds, etc. and one might argue that some help is done is better than none at all.

In a lot of cases I think you are right as many programmes simply hinder the long term independence of recepients and cause welfare addiction, where the people become totally reliant on welfare handouts. One broad religious type are often responsible and it's often done not so much for the long term benefit of the recepients but more for the "givers" to feel good that they are doing something which their holy book tells them.

I'd guestimate that around 70% of "foreign aid" type programmes aren't worth the money spent on them as in many cases up to 80% of the money raised is absorbed in expenses.

Short term handouts for those who suffer in the hands of a natural disaster are something that people should dig deep in to their pockets to support, in particualar the International Red Cross/Crescent and Medicine Sans Frontiers organisations or the Save the Children Fund to name 3.

 

[allenleonhart]

well. my 2 cents:

voluntary work, i wonder how many singaporeans actually do it. i personally try to give as much time as i can to help out my old primary sch. the students there are not so well off, so i try to bring them joy by teaching them simple photography.

but as time goes by, i steadily find myself running out of time. i get dismissed at 5 pm daily now. cant fit the time for those students.

and hence, i believe why most singaporeans would prefer "charity" over voluntary work. its good to note that all charity shows meet their mark. the lack of time is what causing most singaporeans, especially those who have to work for every single penny, to not do as much voluntary work. yet i strongly believe that their attitude towards helping others is positive.

as students, we did flag day before. sad to note, it was compulsory. if it wasnt, would students help? but it never fails to amaze me how much singaporeans are willing to donate. once i had this nice malay lady who donated 50 bucks. it was nice.

the only downside i forsee is the misuse of funds. i kinda get disheartened by reverenant ming yi's incident. he could keep a horse, buy houses etc. yet those money (if he was really sincere) could be donated out to help others. its quite ironic.

this is just my views. not representitive of everyone

 

[limwhow]

...
and hence, i believe why most singaporeans would prefer "charity" over voluntary work. its good to note that all charity shows meet their mark. the lack of time is what causing most singaporeans, especially those who have to work for every single penny, to not do as much voluntary work. yet i strongly believe that their attitude towards helping others is positive.
...

Hey, allenleonhart. I just want to point out that what you have said is very true. I couldn't have said it better.

 

[allenleonhart]

ty ty.

if u guys need proof, tonight got the renci charity show right? econ bad but i think they will still hit the target

 

[forward]

Volunteerism can take a number of forms and is
present in many regular and common places
where we often do not even notice it.

One such example is being a moderator in a forum,
and so on. Each and every individual has a capacity
to donate voluntarily and selflessly his/her time
and work.

Some give selflessness contributions even in a forum
like Clubsnap.

I think the only difference there is among us the extent
to which and the form in which we are willing to do so.

 

[night86mare]

In a lot of cases I think you are right as many programmes simply hinder the long term independence of recepients and cause welfare addiction, where the people become totally reliant on welfare handouts. One broad religious type are often responsible and it's often done not so much for the long term benefit of the recepients but more for the "givers" to feel good that they are doing something which their holy book tells them.

I'd guestimate that around 70% of "foreign aid" type programmes aren't worth the money spent on them as in many cases up to 80% of the money raised is absorbed in expenses.

Short term handouts for those who suffer in the hands of a natural disaster are something that people should dig deep in to their pockets to support, in particualar the International Red Cross/Crescent and Medicine Sans Frontiers organisations or the Save the Children Fund to name 3.

yes, i think it is not right to "force' people to give out of anything other than self-volunteerism and an entirely convicted heart.

charity is, and always will be, a very sticky thing to get into - look at the situation we have had in singapore in the past decade or so.

 

[limwhow]

A former classmate of mine who is now a surgeon admits over a lunch discussion that he volunteer at disaster relief operations for weeks to months on end with no salary just so that it will look good in his resume. A term he describe as "humanitarian tourism". :sweat:

You have to wonder just how many humanitarian and welfare volunteers in Singapore really does it with absolutely no strings attached?

Haha... I am sure he didn't mean it when he jokingly said that to you, right?
If he was dead serious, then it is about time we begin to talk about pseudo-volunteers in this thread...