Volunteerism

One of the themes President Obama highlighted in his campaign and continues to espouse during his presidency was service. I read an article recently about what First Lady Michelle Obama was up to and the article included pictures of her reading to kids, serving food in a soup kitchen and thanking various organizations in DC for their work in service to the country. The example and encouragement of our president's family got me thinking about my own volunteering experiences and attitude.

Simply put, volunteering isn't a regular habit with me. My volunteer experiences often came from school or work; either it was an extracurricular service group at school or organizations or activities sponsored by my employer. To be clear, I'm talking about active participation rather than monetary donations. I've done my share of donations to various causes, and while I understand that money is helpful to any organization, it keeps me distanced from feeling like I've made a difference. The usual thank you and receipt is just a piece of paper.

I have taken part in events that were fundraisers where the activity was oblique to the charity's stated ultimate goal for good reason. I have ridden my bike for Tour de Cure to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. I've attended many fundraising activities for my Team in Training friends. (But no, I will never run a marathon for love, money or charity) I've raised some money for NaNoWriMo. I don't have much expertise in curing diabetes or leukemia nor have I run a creative, inspirational non-profit.

But I think my favorite volunteer experience has been activities that are directly applied help. I volunteered with Rebuilding Together Oakland a few times via my employer. Per their website "Rebuilding Together Oakland (RTO) rehabilitates the homes of low-income elderly and disabled homeowners, so they may continue to live in safety, comfort and independence." One year, I helped build a handicapped ramp and another year, I put up some cabinets, demolished a dangerously-leaning shed and put a shiny coat of paint on the house. In both examples, I did get a chance to meet the homeowner, who was very grateful for our work. It wasn't so much the direct gratitude that makes that different, though it's really awesome. I think it was putting a face to the payoff of my volunteer work that gives it that extra oomph. Which is odd for me, being an introvert. Usually I dread the effort of socializing. Strangely enough, it almost always turns out better than I expect.

This coming weekend I'll be volunteering at the FIRST Robotic Competition event in Sacramento. Once again, this was due to my employer providing the opportunity for me. And once again, I'm dreading having to be around a bunch of people I don't know. But I get to watch the culmination of the hard work and learning that high school kids put into their robots. I'm sure it'll turn out better than I expect.