Earlier this week, a group of volunteers from the Hollywood Whole Foods (Portland, Oregon) spent a day volunteering at the Out to Pasture Sanctuary in Estacada, Oregon. Out to Pasture provides a home for neglected, abandoned, and abused animals from cats to goats and everything in between.
Some organizations find that special volunteer days are more practical than an ongoing employee volunteer program. Employees can still benefit by feeling a sense of meaning in their work, opportunities to network with other staff members who may not be in their own departments, and through the team building these volunteer days provide. Partnering non-profit organizations benefit from the work provided by employee volunteer teams.
While these special employee volunteer days can provide mutual benefit, it is important for organizers to note that they often do not provide the opportunity for skills-based volunteerism. Instead, because of the short time frame, the projects available are often manual labor or discreet projects. It is also important to ensure that the organization has ample work that doesn't require much training for the employee volunteers. If the work requires too much specialized knowledge about the non-profit organization, the NPO representatives will be overburdened with questions. If there isn't enough work to be had, the employee volunteers may feel frustrated or as if they are wasting their time.
Some projects that might work well are clean-up days of inside or outside areas, mass mailings, and special events that require extra help.
Some organizations find that special volunteer days are more practical than an ongoing employee volunteer program. Employees can still benefit by feeling a sense of meaning in their work, opportunities to network with other staff members who may not be in their own departments, and through the team building these volunteer days provide. Partnering non-profit organizations benefit from the work provided by employee volunteer teams.
While these special employee volunteer days can provide mutual benefit, it is important for organizers to note that they often do not provide the opportunity for skills-based volunteerism. Instead, because of the short time frame, the projects available are often manual labor or discreet projects. It is also important to ensure that the organization has ample work that doesn't require much training for the employee volunteers. If the work requires too much specialized knowledge about the non-profit organization, the NPO representatives will be overburdened with questions. If there isn't enough work to be had, the employee volunteers may feel frustrated or as if they are wasting their time.
Some projects that might work well are clean-up days of inside or outside areas, mass mailings, and special events that require extra help.
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