Volunteering | pad patter 3.3.17

I'm too introvert-y to volunteer at school but my mom volunteers in my daughter's class every Thursday so I totally count that.

Right now my volunteering is focused on the youth ministry non-profit I participated in as a teen. I serve on the board of directors and am currently heading up the communications committee so I send out emails, post to social media, fundraise, and plan events. It is a lot of work at the moment since there's never been an official plan in place & we're trying to get things nailed down before the executive director (the only one they've ever had) retires in a couple of years.

My church has service days every so often where you only have to commit to a few hours on a Saturday so I participate in those as well.

Once I'm able to get the communications committee off the ground & a lot of this stuff automated, I'd like to find a volunteering opportunity for my daughter to participate in. I want her to understand that it's our job to help others & to be happy while we're doing it.

 

I volunteer as a board member of a community law centre that offers free legal assistance and education to people with disabilities

 

I'm socially awkward around other children that are not mine, unless they're babies so volunteering at school has only happened once!

I've told all of the teachers throughout the years, if you need anything cut, stapled, glued etc I'm your gal. When my middle was in kinder I used my die cutting machine to make each little in her class a few projects to make around the holidays, so that totally counts right?

 

I can't think of anything I've done recently but I 've volunteered for Girl Guide meetings, for crafts with the girls. I've also volunteered to guide photo walks with some of our local hobbyists in a group I was in.

 

Kayla - you've made me tired just reading about all you do! You're a super mom, that's all.

I used to volunteer a bit here and there, and now not at all. I'm just too tired trying to keep up with my kids, especially the skating one.

 

Volunteering is always more fun when it is something you are passionate about, I have found! I have done stuff in my kids classes and I didn't mind it, but I am kind of like @bbymks5 in the fact that I am a little socially awkward in those situations helping with kids. It just doesn't come naturally for me - and kind of like @LeeAndra I am somewhat of an introvert, so I do better when I don't need to directly interact necessarily! We have been helping out at a food drive each month that our church hosts and we love it! We just set up and hand out food to those who come thru, and we can show love and care in a somewhat indirect way, and I love that our kids can do it with us and they love it. We did serve for a week a few summers ago at a camp that serves families that have young children battling cancer, and they come and can relax and be renewed and it was a great week of serving a family going thru so much hardship - but it was TOUGH - emotionally and physically - but again, it was something we did as a family, which I love.

I have found that I am always nervous about volunteering before I do it, but I have always found that it ends up easier than I would have thought, and I usually end up getting blessed more so than those I am serving!

 

@MandaKay So glad I'm not the only one! Were you an only child too by chance?

 

I've done lots of volunteering in my homeschool community. The biggest and longest running job I'm still doing is photo editor of our statewide homeschool organization's magazine, Voice. I've been doing that for over 5 years, I think! I've also planned and organized and run many events and was the owner/leader of my own local homeschool group from 2003 to 2016. It's still running today but I passed it on to someone else.

I've also written tutorials and given a couple of presentations for a local photography club. And I always help in some way with every theater production my girls do, including selling concessions and supervising the actors in the green room. For a couple of years I was even drama club secretary, and I continue to create flyers and programs for some of their shows. I make a lot of pictures and videos of the shows too, and share them with all the other parents.

Oh! And for a few years now, I have volunteered to help with VaHomeschoolers' annual convention every March. I usually proctor a couple of sessions (introducing the speaker, etc, reading from a script; I enjoy reading aloud, even if it's not much of a story! and I have helped sign in attendees, distribute lunches, and clean up the stage after the talent show.

I'm an introvert too, so I tend to choose job based on that, but I like participating in things and being involved, especially in my kids' activities.

 

I like to be available, being a SAHM I can chat over tea whenever there is a need.
I love helping out at church and lifting children when needed.
I also occasionally get asked to take photos and that is so much fun.

 

Hahaha...quite the opposite actually - the baby of 5!!! And I have like 17 nieces and nephews and my own three kids, but something about kids I don't know that well and just trying to help them with things is not my natural bent! I don't have the gift of teaching at all, so maybe that is part of it too!

 

Love to read about the volunteering every one is doing or has done!!

Back when our son was in school I volunteered quite a bit - I did the school newspaper for years - and then when he got to HS age was on the Prom Committee - it was a lot of fun!

 

I volunteer at DD's school (mostly in her classroom doing odd jobs for the teacher. Yesterday I took down stuff stapled to the wall outside their class and I sharpened pencils. I know, I know: #glamorouslife and everyone's jealus lol)
I have volunteered in DS's room but not as often as I do for DS. In all honesty, I feel like they don't need me except when doing a big, messy project and they just need another adult to help keep the mess contained lol. The 2 preschool teachers have worked together for years, so they know what they're doing; explaining stuff to me takes longer than just doing it themselves rotfl. Having said that, DS has asked me to come to his classroom, so maybe I will next week.
DD has actually read to DS's class cuz her school district follows a different schedule than DS's. So on days she's off, she reads to the preschoolers. It's so darn cute to see! So technically I'm in the room but I'm not volunteering...DD is.

 

Im also not comfortable in large groups, but I have done what I could to help out behinds the main scenes.
My baby is a senior in high school but I have done a lot of school volunteering through the years. Homeroom mom, listening to children read to me, Sports/driver/food, Band/food and helping at football games/fund raisers.

Baby sat for no cost to those friends in need.

Now I'm mostly involved with helping at our church. I co-share the funeral meals, which my duties are shop for the food/paper products and run the kitchen the day of the funeral. Do communion once a month. Bread for communion 6x's a year. Help my hubby when he changes the Banners.

 

I don't do any volunteering right now, but I've done enough in the past to count. Here's what I've done -
12 years of being leader/asst. leader of my daughter's Girl Scout troop.
Bible School Crafts Leader
Deacon at church
Craft helper at Kindergarten
PTA volunteer
Band Parent
EMT
Swim Team Booster Secretary and program chairperson.

 

I did some online things and wrote to the troops for several years. That lead to me and mighty Luanne (pickup) transporting discards from a children's consignment store to the local Fort's ASYMCA free to E5 and below thrift store which lead to me voluntering. At the thrift store. They were so desparate for any help they let me come when I could and do what I could. (my ptsd leaves me with confusion, trouble tracking and memory issues) They were, to my happy shock, quite experienced with PTSD. I wasn't the first volunteer with it.
I'd not been that happy and productive since my diagnosis and disability. Even if all I could do was sort hangers by color tag into color coded bins, it was help they truly needed and appreciated. They are the ones who showed me alot of symptoms I was unaware of - like on bad days, I made a wee passage into the donation pile and a hole for my chair then sat and worked in it. They also treated me as a co-worker and like a normal volunteer, lol.
TMI? Great thread, ty!

 

When my daughter was little, I made the PTA newsletter and did basically whatever they needed me to do. In high school, I was the choir parents president for senior year and highly active in the group of parents during the whole of her high school career... My son is just turning 4 and while he is in the early intervention preschool, he would not do great with me coming into his class to help and then leaving before it was time for him to go too. So, I don't get to do much. I am looking forward to more opportunities though and I always offer my photoshop, cricut, and general skills to any teacher who has one of my kids in their class. When I get a foster kids placement, I will probably have to be more careful to not get overwhelmed with too many projects!!

Huggles!!
~Sarah~