non-profit volunteerism

One of my favorite things about my life and myself is my willingness to give and volunteer.  I'm kind of writing this for my self, but also to spread ideas and information so you can do the same, if you so choose :-)

As my bio says, I work for a non-profit organization.  I love it.  I have decided I will never work for any other kind of organization.  We are smaller than many non-profits that probably come to mind, such as American Heart Association or Cancer Society.  Because we are smaller, it allows me enjoy it that much more because I feel that corruption often enters when any organization gets that big, even if it's non-profit.  We are definitely not that large.

Anyway, I love my job for several reasons.  Number one, I love the people I work with.  They are some of the nicest, most caring people I have ever met in my life.  They care about their job, the mission of our organization, and also, we all care about each other.  It's like a family, and it makes me so happy :-)

Reason number two I love my job is because all I've ever really wanted to do is feel like I've helped someone and made their life just a little bit better. I will never make a ton of money here, or at any non-profit, and that's completely fine with me.  I have never been a money hungry person to be honest.  My first major in college was education, so I think that's kind of obvious :-) But it's nice to be able to go to work and feel like I serve an actual purpose being here, other than just getting a check.

There are a bunch of other reasons why I love my job, but they are not as important. 

Aside from my full time job, I do some volunteer work.  I am part of an organization called Collinsville Charities for Children.  We provide under-privileged kids in the Collinsville area with a pair of shoes and package of socks during Christmastime.  I do all of the media work for them and assist in planning the events.  We do a golf tournament every year to raise money and participate in a chili cook off. 

Last year we provided 300+ kids in the area with shoes and socks.  It was awesome.  I also bought a pair of Heeley's for a kid.  He is labeled as "behavior disordered" and didn't want any of the shoes we had to offer at Payless.  He ended up getting shoes there, but I bought him some Heeley's and delivered them to his school.  He was super pumped and it made me really happy to see him happy.  I don't think kids naturally have a "behavior disorder", I think they have shitty parents.  When I was with him at Payless, the teacher kept asking me if he was bothering me, but he wasn't.  He was a little difficult to talk to, but he was like 9.  Aren't all kids difficult sometimes?  I mean, he didn't punch me or anything.  Sometimes (most of the time) I don't understand our education system and it makes me really glad I didn't go into it.  I think it would have ruined my opinion on our country even more.

Anyway though, I also am a member of the Collinsville Jaycees.  I'm on the board as secretary for this year.  We are really dysfunctional.  I have known all of the members since I was kid, since my parents were in the Jaycees.  There's only like, 8 people left.  But we have a bunch of money, and we raise money, and we donate it all back into the community.  Which also benefits my other non-profits since I make the Jaycees cut me checks that I personally can't make out to my work or CC4C because I don't have hundreds of dollars to donate. 

Because of all the non-profit networking I do, I help out with several other organizations.  I help other Jaycee chapters put events together, or donate to another volunteers cause since they donated to mine, etc.  Later this month I'm helping out at a bone marrow drive, and also registering to see if I am a match for the person in need.  It honestly sounds a little scary, but I am a young, able-bodied person, so why not?  I would hope someone would help me out if I needed it.  In all non-profit circumstances the beneficiary relies on the willingness of others to give.  So I just do it.  Plus it makes me feel better than arbitrarily donating money to organizations for research and whatever, even though that is also beneficial, this directly affects someone in an instantaneous manor. 

So anyway, this is my experience with non-profit and volunteering.  And that's all I have to say :-)
I hope, if anyone reads this, that it encourages you to help another person.  Even if it's as small as buying groceries for an elderly person, walking someone's dog, helping someone pay the air conditioning bill, do it for them.  When you do it for them, you do it for yourself too!

I have noticed that this particular post gets a lot of views.  If you read it and have any questions, feel free to email me!  brittni.rehg@hotmail.com