Charity begins at home, right? Think again.
I used to think that to dive into volunteering projects, I’d have to first be super-passionate about a cause…you know….like you see in movies. I’d have a megaphone and shout over tons of protesters who also want more licorice flavor in their chewing gum (or whatever the cause…don’t feel bad if yours isn’t as important as my example). I’d seen thousands of people walking for cancer or raising money for the heart association, or some other cause. I didn’t feel it. I’d read the brochures. Sure I felt bad for people who lost their homes, and yes, I hated reading about the tragedy of cancer or the horrible life of someone in abject poverty. But still, it didn’t strike me.
I was complaining about this to a close friend one day, who said, “You’re got it wrong, Joe! You get involved FIRST and the passion comes later.”
Man, was she right.
The closest I’d felt to any cause was the Arthritis Foundation. I finally decided to help out for some selfish reasons:
1) My mom had arthritis. I might as well raise money that would help someone in my family.
2) (and sadly, probably nearly as important to the selfish version of me at the time) The president of the local Arthritis Foundation Chapter was a client of mine.
So, I jumped in.
Arthritis became my cause. Whenever I had a birthday party, backyard barbeque, or whatever, I asked friends to skip the potluck and instead bring a sealed envelope with a check for the Arthritis Foundation. I volunteered at the Jingle Bell Run (their big fundraiser) and sat in with other professionals planning bigger events to try and raise more funds.
What I’d Been Missing from Volunteering
Sure, I was giving, but man, was I also receiving! Now, I’m not saying that you should get involved with community charitable projects because of what you’ll gain, but there are so, so many advantages:
1) Networking. I never knew that in my field (financial advising), the BEST place to be was at charitable giving events. All of my target market was there (people with cash) and they were predisposed to like me because I was lending a hand.
2) Tax write offs. When I gave money, I was allowed to use these funds as an itemized deduction on my tax return.
3) Great feelings. There’s nothing more fun than meeting the people you’re helping out.
4) Travel. My friend Chris helped out after the earthquake in Pakistan and also after the tsunami on the Indian Ocean. He’s seen the world…and helped humanity at the same time.
Expanding Your Volunteering Reach
We went further. Cheryl took the kids on a medical mission trip to Guatemala. Suddenly, we saw that there were opportunities all over the world you could take advantage of. You can build houses in the Appalachians, fight poverty in Africa, or volunteer work Sydney with UNICEF. Imagine a trip to Sydney, Australia and pitching in!
Unfortunately, I couldn’t go with my family last summer on the trip, but all three agreed that using free time to volunteer, while exhausting, was more rewarding than just hanging out on a beach somewhere.
Cheryl didn’t only volunteer. She planned a trip for two weeks and saw the sites the second half. If you volunteered in Sydney, for example, you could take a portion of the trip to help out and another portion to tour.
I’ll second what my friend told me: don’t feel the passion around charitable giving? Get involved first. I promise the passion will follow.
Wow! Great article on the positives of volunteering. I fell in love with volunteering during college, but had never thought of #1 on your list.
I couldn’t agree more, I joined a charity (Wounded Warrior Project) for selfish reasons as well but am so glad that I discovered it none the less!
One place I’ve volunteered is the San Francisco Food Bank. They have an ENORMOUS warehouse where they sort and store all type of food before they distribute it to local families. I spent some time sorting through produce that local farmers had donated – apples that weren’t “perfect” enough for the groceries stores for example. It definitely stirred something in me. Nice job on your volunteering with the Arthritis Foundation!
I couldn’t agree more. I used to think that people who volunteered all the time for Habitat for Humanity must really be inspired to help the homeless. I decided, for selfish reasons, to help out and learn how to build houses. Not only did I learn how to build houses, but it got me volunteering at all kinds of organizations from children’s centers, so soup kitchens. It’s one of the best ways to spend your time. Waaay better than watching a little more TV.
Totally agree, Joe. I’ve done tons of volunteering over the decades, and to me, one of the really great things about it is that it gives you an “attitude of gratitude”. Helping others, especially the less fortunate, gives you a whole new positive perspective on your own life.
I’ve done some volunteering in the past, and it felt good to give time and energy to a worthwhile cause. Admittedly, I had the selfish angle accompanying it, as I noted it as an extracurriuclar to boost grad school applications.
As I get older, and have seen the impact of a few medical issues on a couple of loved ones, I’ve been motivated to squeeze in some time to help out. Maybe it can become a bigger time commitment in the future, as time becomes more open and the passion grows.
One of the things I have thought about is spending a significant amount of time (as in most of the day) volutneering for one or two specific things if I had financial freedom. That’s a long way from now (if it ever happens!), so sporadic volunteering will have to do for now.
That’s the case for me, too. I’d love to donate every day to my local cause (here now it’s putting trails around Texarkana). I just don’t have the time, so I try not to feel guilty when I can only do a few hours a week.