The 8 Stages of Volunteering
We all volunteer for different reasons and purposes. Some have done so since they were kids, while others never do. Here are 8 stages of volunteering that people might typically go through as they progress through life.
Stage 1: Don’t see the point
You’re still young, inexperienced, and are maybe new to the concept of volunteering. You don’t know many people who do volunteer, except for the over-achievers, those who want to please their parents and teachers as much as possible, or those who were raised by wonderful parents who taught them the value of it early on.
Stage 2: Kind of sees the point but won’t do it themselves
You know (maybe not fully that) it’s important to volunteer but you’re not entirely sure how it relates to you or what you’ll personally get out of it. Or possibly even you feel like you’re not that good of a person to do such stuff. And your friends could be at the same stage too, so then none of them fully see the value of volunteering and don’t try it, which brings you to follow their inactivity as well. Or you and your friends could think that it’s not cool, not fun, that it’s for those mentioned in Stage 1, for goody two-shoes, and for nerdy people.
Stage 3: To meet high school graduation requirements
Nowadays in high school, you need to complete 30 hours of volunteer or work experience to be able to graduate. Finding that first job can be difficult for some, so the only other choice is to volunteer if you want to finish high school. You’re just volunteering to count the hours you put in.
Stage 4: To puff up their resume
You hear that employers and universities prefer people with extra-curricular activities and don’t want to lie, which makes you start volunteering because you’ll be able to write that down onto your resume. You’re hoping it will be enough to impress your future manager and the post-secondary admissions staff, and make you seem like you’re a well-rounded individual.
Stage 5: To meet new people and learn new skills
You’re at a different phase in life now where you want to meet new people and gain some experience in something you’re not familiar with. It will benefit you since you’ll be further ahead than you were before. It would be nice if you end up getting a job from your new connections and/or the new skills you have acquired.
Stage 6: Because volunteering is good
Lots of people by now know that volunteering is good. Your prof might see you volunteering one day, then at the next class could walk all the way to where you’re sitting at the back during break time, and tell you he saw you volunteering and how great that is. Plus, he might even give you better marks on your term paper.
Perhaps you’ve discovered that volunteering makes you feel good on the inside. Helping someone else makes you feel better, especially when you’re going through a tough time.
Stage 7: Because you’ve changed as a person
After all those years, you’ve slowly changed for the better. You want to give back because you can and because of all of those who’ve helped you when you were struggling. You’ve become more generous, kind, caring, compassionate, heartful, understanding, and selfless. Donating money is nice too when you don’t have the time to volunteer or have an abundance of money, but generally, the latter is more fulfilling because you’re making a difference in person, you’re seeing the positive changes instantly, you’re meeting the people who work there, volunteer there, or get help from there, and you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty and actually do some work.
Stage 8: Your life’s purpose
This past summer for my birthday, instead of drinking and partying with friends as I have done in previous years, I decided to volunteer in the kitchen with a friend at the Union Gospel Mission. A few people have asked me about that, and I think some others still wonder, so here’s my why. In the weeks leading up to my birthday, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. For the past year or so, I haven’t been out till the middle of the night drinking much like I used to and haven’t been partying as much as before, on weekdays and weekends. There wasn’t really anything I wanted to do for my big day since we’ve been to that club, that pub, that bar, that restaurant before too many times, we’ve done that before etc; it all gets old and loses meaning. Then I started thinking, it’s my big day, I was born on that day for a purpose, I’m still alive for a reason, so why not do something meaningful and helpful for others? I have the power to create a positive impact for others and add value to them, just because it’s my birthday doesn’t mean I can’t serve people and make their day special too.
