Why We Volunteer?

It's ironic how some people ask me "Why do you volunteer, you don't really get anything out of it, do you?" and look at me weirdly. Or even see how volunteer organizations these days have to market themselves by focusing on what I as a volunteer get rather than how the people you help benefit from it.

I volunteer at the museum for a few hours on some Saturdays assisting in a kid's art workshop, or a lecture or talk organized by the museum. I don't really do a lot, it's really more assisting the kids when they need help, preparing materials, distribute materials, clean ups; and during lectures and talks, it's more of answering inquiries, and ushering the audience to their seats. Having been a successful corporate executive, this can be extremely boring and poor use of skills. And I'm not exactly there to learn a new skill either. So it's not really for self-development or career growth. Nor am I there because some company's corporate responsibility program requiring me to volunteer a minimum of X hours.

I also volunteer as a mentor for 2 hours a week, teaching our local public grade school kids on weekends about heroism, entrepreneurship and community. There's not much preparation as the topics are not very technical or academic, lesson plans and activities have already been prepared prior to the program. So we simply guide the kids each week through the activities listed and give them tips and advise when needed. The kids seem to be pretty self-sufficient.

The biggest volunteer activity I've gotten involved with was a 1-week stint to teach English in a poor Cambodian public school. Nothing really major compared to the hard-core volunteer work that a lot of other volunteers do. But I had to fly to Cambodia, pay for all the expenses for my trip and I'm only there for a week. What could I really teach in a week? And my friends ask me why I even bother and why I have to pay to volunteer.

Well, I call it that inner voice! It's definitely not for the more popular tangible and material reasons that I volunteer. But there is something inside me that makes me want to do it. Can I really say I'm there because of altruistic reasons? Can I really say I just want to give back, with nothing in return, no personal gain at all? Face it! As much as I want to be a good Samaritan, I'm human and I'm not perfect and I will not even pretend that I don't have a selfish part of me that wants something in return.

But to me, that inner voice is my trigger. I didn't need a clear reason for volunteering, I just knew that there is this inner voice making me want to volunteer. It's the same voice that tell me this is what I want and don't want. So I do it! And later I discover that I seem to benefit more out of this, than I am giving or can give. And I realize that this inner voice is a result of an inner need that wants to be fulfilled. And when that need gets fulfilled, the benefits get magnified.

Well, for one, I feel good about myself being useful in some way and appreciated. I'm happy meeting new people even if I may not see them again or they are merely acquaintances. Having been in a very business-oriented and analytical environment for two decades of my life, volunteering gives me a chance to explore that other side of me, my creative side, and ultimately gives balance to my life. Even if my intention was not to learn a new skill and increase my knowledge, I gain new experiences that no school or company can teach me. Of course, there are also some other needs that may not seem so obvious, but often drive our actions without us knowing about it. Maybe I'm trying to fill a missing part of me, like not having kids of my own? So I find ways to work with kids. Maybe I need to find myself? So I try everything out there hoping to find answers. Maybe I'm just bored? So I find things to pass my time.

But in the end, the biggest fulfillment really is in knowing that while I find myself benefiting from this, I do make a difference in other people's life at the same time. It's hard to see at first how such a small or even seemingly useless task such cleaning up after an art workshop, helps the kids. But however small and simple it may be, it adds up to the overall. We always hear the saying "Even one can make a difference!" And it truly does!

Of course, there are many tangible benefits from those whom you helped, directly or indirectly, like increased knowledge as a result of a successful lecture/talk or a Saturday session going through one of the Entrepreneurship topics, seeing one of your kids more successful than the rest in school, or become an active leader in the community, seeing how kids from a non-English speaking country now speak full English sentences, seeing how your kid got into her dream job as a result of her improved English, seeing how the family's financial situation has improved due to your homestay, seeing how the school premises now look cleaner after the paint job and gardening that you did.

But it's really beyond the tangible and material benefits. It is when I see the kids' smiles, their excitement, their enthusiasm; when I see happy and satisfied museum visitors; when I see AHA moments from the participants; those are the things that nourishes my heart and feeds that inner voice!

So if you hear that inner voice calling, be careful not to fall into the trap of the usual excuses, like lack of time, lack of skills and experience, don't have any money to contribute, will not get anything out of it, don't see any personal benefit even those beyond tangible and material ones, and the list can go on. We should all realize that even the simplest thing that may not seem useful to you, and which we often take for granted without realizing it, makes a big difference to one other person. And that's really enough to start with!