Creating Personal Incentives for Volunteering

When the word volunteer pierces the ears, most individuals get mixed feelings simply because the word itself conveys little pay-off. In this day and age, most people need incentives of money or recognition to put forth effort in the community. There are also some situations where volunteer hours are required for one reason or another — school, for example.

What I would like to convey to you is that volunteering time and effort for a worthy cause has its own pay-offs. Non-profits and the people they represent need the help of volunteers to function and thrive.

According to The Press Democrat, citizens of Sonoma County volunteered and donated more time than any other California area surveyed in a recent government report.  

“The county ranked first of the 16 California communities polled, many of them larger than Sonoma County. Nearly two out of every five adults volunteered in the county,” the article stated.

Sonoma County should be proud of these results, but should also realize that it takes effort to create personal incentives to volunteer. Not everyone is thrilled about what they are doing. Some volunteer jobs are hard work, and many college-age students, such as myself, would much rather be hanging out with their friends in their dorm than volunteering to do dirty work for a good cause.

Sometimes it takes the right volunteer opportunity to establish a spark in the unsuspecting undergrad. For example, if a student loves working with children, teaching them new skills or helping them with their schoolwork, there are programs in the area that can help you do this. Many schools have programs where you can do just this. Evergreen Elementary school has a program called Study Buddies which is an afterschool tutoring program.

Others are really passionate about hunger and homelessness, like myself, and want to help but do not know how. There are many ways for individuals to make a difference for those struggling with these things. The Redwood Empire Food Bank needs people to help sort donations for worthy families and individuals. If you happen to live on the SSU campus, a program called Serving Our Unfed People Everyday Re-packaging or SOUP-ER, takes the leftover food from the cafeteria, repackages it and donates it to the St. Vincent De Paul to be served to community members suffering from hunger.

Habitat for Humanity is hosting a series of builds and rehab projects in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol. The work is hard, but rewarding because you know the homes will be going to families in need that qualify.

Some people are really passionate about environmental issues and would love to become involved in any way they can to promote sustainability practices and eco projects in the area. Cotati Creek Critters is one program where people sign up to pick up litter and spend time weeding, mulching, pruning and planting new plants in the area.

There are needs everywhere for volunteers. You just need to realize that just an hour a week can make a difference in the area you are pursuing, whether it is for children, the environment or those suffering from hunger and homelessness. You may not think you have the necessary skill set to help these causes, but you can contribute more than you think — trust me.

For more information about SSU volunteer opportunities, visit Sonoma State's JUMP program.