By: Halle Beranek | Parish & Community Outreach Coordinator
Between work and family obligations, church commitments, and the never-ending chime of notifications to personal devices, the thought of finding enough time in your week to volunteer can seem impossible, but there is a way to step back from the busyness of daily traffic and enjoy the renewal that comes through service to your community. Sometimes you may look at people who frequently volunteer and ask, “How do they have enough time in the day?” The answer is that these individuals have cracked the code for finding time to invest in the community without burning out.
At Catholic Charities, our volunteers have cracked this code and have found that there are practical ways to implement volunteering into your daily lives. The first step is to find an organization that aligns with your values such as Catholic Charities. Step two involves reflecting on your personal skills, interests, and willingness to learn new skills along the way. The third step is to reach out to the organization of your choice and complete the onboarding requirements so that when you are ready to volunteer, you can sign up for roles as they appear. Finally, the fourth step is to stay engaged with volunteer opportunities and see what roles or events interest you.
Volunteering does not have to be a long-term commitment or involve an intense training program. Volunteer programs, like the Volunteer Network at Catholic Charities, allow volunteers to share their interests and skills with the program on a schedule of their choosing. Some volunteers choose to participate in donation drives and help to host them at their parishes. This is a great opportunity for families with children or those looking to volunteer with a low-time commitment. Other volunteers sign up for once weekly opportunities such as helping clients who are single mothers to run errands to the grocery store or volunteer to help clients fill out job applications. Other volunteers with interest in finances sign up to help provide Rent Smart training to community members. Still, other volunteers who look for long term bonding with clients, sign up for English tutoring to meet once weekly with individuals looking to improve their language skills.
Volunteering can be done on a schedule that fits you and in places where you feel you can be most of help. For one of our Catholic Charities tutor volunteers, she shared that “Each week I learn new things! It continues to be challenging and exciting.” as she works with a family to practice names of letters associated with sounds, vocabulary for furnishings in their apartment, and other English language skills. With enthusiasm from our volunteers, it is no wonder that several volunteer individuals and groups from Catholic Charities are nominees for the Brown County Volunteer Awards.
Catholic Charities has been blessed to have volunteers who give when and how they can. We love celebrating volunteers who give in big and small ways. All volunteers are important because one small act of service causes a ripple effect in the lives of those we serve. We invite you to contact us to find a way that you and your family can begin serving today!