National Volunteer Week (May 21st- 27th 2018) is an annual event in which organisations across Australia celebrate the important contribution of volunteers. To us at Pets of the Homeless (POTH), we believe National Volunteer Week offers a great opportunity to discuss the many benefits of volunteering and talk about how volunteers help make our work possible. So, let’s talk volunteering!
To start, the theme for this year’s National Volunteer Week is Give a little, Change a lot. We feel it’s a pretty good motto!
As a small charity organisation, our POTH volunteers are the driving force behind everything we do. Each volunteer role – from social media writers, tin rattlers, food packers, call makers and business shakers (looking at you, Yvonne!) – is filled by volunteers who share the same love for pets and helping their community.
Like our pets, contributions come in all shapes, big and small. It’s safe to say we feel good about what we do. But what are the larger reasons why we (or anyone else) might choose to use our spare time in this way?
Volunteering is fantastic for self-fulfilment and learning. Through it we’re exposed to environments and people we might not have otherwise encountered.
Volunteering is fantastic for self-fulfillment and learning. Through it we’re exposed to environments and people we might not have otherwise encountered. But it’s more than that – there are countless worthy reasons to donate your time.
Sometimes, getting a foot into an industry is tricky, as paid jobs are often taken by people who have previous experience. One way to earn that experience is to volunteer in a related role. Essentially, by helping out someone else, you are paid by experience in return!
The workforce is changing, and people are more likely now to have two or even three different jobs in order to get by. For some, volunteering can help gain experience for a second job while still working another.
It is estimated that 6 million Australians each year donate their time to volunteer. In 2016, this amounted to roughly 932 million hours donated. All this hard work yields a 450% return from every dollar invested, contributing an estimated $290 billion to the economy.
Businesses are getting on board also, with overall business volunteering increasing. Three quarters of large businesses have indicated they encourage employees to donate their time by compensating the hours spent volunteering outside the workplace. That’s good news for community organisations reliant on skilled volunteers!
For these reasons, Volunteering Australia and POTH strive to acknowledge and celebrate those who volunteer across our communities. We like to think we do this all year, but National Volunteer Week is a great time to really look on a broad scale at what we do and why we do it.
Volunteer Australia encourages the development of volunteering throughout the country, aiming to increase both the volume and the quality of volunteer work each year. By putting on campaigns and forums, those interested in donating their time can learn from those in the industry.
6 million Australians each year donate their time to volunteer.
This year on 23 May we will see National WOWDay (Wear Orange Wednesday), which recognises the thousands of SES volunteers across Australia. There will also be a volunteering forum at the State Library of Victoria. The ‘Ethics in Volunteer Leadership’ forum is hosted by Volunteering Victoria on 31 May. Get along if you’re interested!
This type of event really promotes the way volunteering works, encouraging new people to understand how beneficial even a little of their time, skills and knowledge can be for their community. It is never too late to begin volunteering, and the best thing about donating time is that every little bit counts.
To find out more about volunteering for POTH, visit https://petsofthehomeless.org.au/volunteer/
Written by Nicholas Corbett
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