A Rewarding Life
Posted on June 19, 2006 9 Comments
Volunteering has been a part of my life from an early age. I worked soup kitchens in grade school, traveled to Appalachia on a high school service trip to repair sub-standard housing and served as a free tutor in college for underprivileged kids, among other things. Volunteering has been my religion of choice for as long as I can remember.
Working full time (and often overtime) presents a challenge, though. No one wants a volunteer who can’t commit to a regular schedule. I’ve spoken at length with coordinators at a women’s shelter, an orphanage, a cancer support center, a teen suicide helpline and have been to orientations for a children’s hospital and the local animal shelter. Nothing fits. Given that I don’t have a regular schedule or a driver’s license and that I travel for work, I’m a less-than-ideal candidate to serve as a regular volunteer.
I’ve channeled my goodwill into charitable contributions over the past few years. My annual budget allows for small donations, and to date, I’ve given to Children’s Memorial Hospital and various educational organizations. I also regularly give clothing to the Salvation Army and a women’s shelter near my apartment.
Still, I want to volunteer my time. I miss the rewarding interaction, the people, the opportunity to give back. So I’ve been trying to hook up with a group called Inner City Outings, affiliated with Sierra Club. The group brings kids from poor, urban communities on “field trips” – hiking in forest preserves, kayaking on the lake, camping in the dunes. This was an important part of my childhood growing up in the city. I was lucky enough to camp, hike and play with the Boy Scouts of America because my three brothers were involved (and my parents were troop leaders).
At the time, I loathed my family for dragging me to every annual pow-wow, every festival and every camping trip. But I got to bring friends, and I think those trips helped my to become the adventurous woman I am today. It’s true, no one would ever mistake me for a country girl (I’m not so good with animals), and I have a terrible phobia of creepy-crawlies, but would I have ever hiked along the Pacific Ocean in California and Oregon without those early walks to the bog? Where would I be without the camping and fishing trips of my youth? Sure, they were few and far between, but those trips taught me to respect nature, to live simply and to rely on myself for answers. Lessons I hope I can pass along to my own children some day.
I’ve tried to hook up with the group twice so far. The first time (in April) I injured my ankle and couldn’t make the hike, the second was last weekend – our bike ride was cancelled due to weather. Despite setbacks, I still hope that this partnership might work out. I believe strongly in the cause, the people seem great and my schedule actually works for the organizers.
How does this all fit into personal finance? Well, for me, the quest for smart money management is not only the search for security, it’s the journey to find balance. If I can fill my life with unforgettable, fulfilling experiences, I don’t think material goods will matter as much to me. Sometimes the search for the perfect pair of jeans, the latest make-up, the most extravagant furnishings, is less about what we have than what we’re missing.
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June 19th, 2006 @ 4:20 am
The tutoring group at Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Ave., across from the Handcock Building has room for “substitute” tutors who fill in for regular tutors who can’t show for that day. Try looking them up.
http://www.fourthchurch.org/volunteercatalogue.html#pie
June 19th, 2006 @ 12:47 pm
I prefer long term committed volunteering too. I haven’t been a tutor for years and I miss it. The kids were really great and I continued to counsel my student for about a year after the 6-month program ended. It was an eye-opener for me and I learned a lot from my student.
I hate doing one-time volunteering, but if you can commit yourself a few weeks in advance, Habitat for Humanity will sometimes take one-time volunteers if they have room for you. I used to organize group trips for my college alumni, and on weekends where I was free, I’d call them up and see if they had room for one more.
June 19th, 2006 @ 7:34 pm
Excellent entry!
June 19th, 2006 @ 7:58 pm
Why not try a Walk-a-thon? Or serve as a “special event” volunteer? I too had trouble fitting into a regular schedule, but would help during special fund raising events serving as a bartender, server, ticket seller, etc. I was also able to solicit donations/contributions of items, services, etc. to be used during these special events. Hope that helps spur some new ideas.
CJ McD in Oshkosh
June 19th, 2006 @ 8:52 pm
I am a volunteer Wishgranter for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It’s a longer-term thing, but you can fit it around your schedule. I absolutely love it!
June 20th, 2006 @ 3:37 am
Love your blog! If you’re looking for ad hoc volunteering opportunities, try Chicago Cares. I’m not in Chicago but just about every major city has a “Cares” chapter now, I think. You become a member, and then pick (through their website) whatever volunteer opportunities work with your schedule. It makes it easy to volunteer if you have an erratic schedule
June 20th, 2006 @ 10:27 pm
have you considered the Junior League? i’m a 29 year old single woman, addicted to my job with hardly any time to spare (much like yourself!). the League has given me great skills as well as a flexible, easy, and fun way to help my community through a variety of short term, ad-hoc volunteer projects. i’ve volunteered at a breast cancer fundraising walk, i’ve done home improvement for a women’s shelter, i’ve made healthy snacks and helped with homework for a group of homeless children…all sorts of things. the best part (besides the League fitting into my very busy schedule) is that there is always something different. i can help in lots of ways without making a long term, long hours committment to any one group. you can learn more at http://www.ajli.org. sociation of junior leagues
June 21st, 2006 @ 7:17 pm
You are a good person. Keep up the great work!
December 26th, 2006 @ 5:10 am
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