Volunteering is What We Do

April was National Volunteer Month, but volunteering is truly something any one of us can do all year round. It’s also part of our DNA in credit unions as cooperative principle #7: Concern for Community.

We all lead busy lives and never feels like we have two hours to spare, but it’s always worth it. No matter what your title is, you can lend your hands, expertise and time.

I’ve been volunteering on my own for two decades and have been leading group volunteer efforts with local credit union people around Madison for over ten years now. Here are a couple points that are worth sharing from what I’ve learned:

• There is no better way to get a pulse on what is happening in your community. For example, in my middle class neighborhood on the West side of Madison, the local food pantry I volunteer at is seeing unprecedented demand, to the point that they are running out of food every week. At the pantries, diapers are always in short supply and after volunteering at a local diaper bank, I learned that 0% of diaper needs are covered by public assistance benefits.
• Similarly, if your partner, friend or children are up for it, take them along! Many places encourage it. I remember my youngest daughter’s misconceptions being shattered about people that visit the food pantry. “I assumed it would be the homeless,” after seeing someone in scrubs as well as one of her substitute teachers.
• You can make professional contacts outside of credit unions. My group volunteer efforts led to a spot on the Leadership Council for my local food pantry, an associate board seat at Gilda’s Club, development and fundraising committee spots at another food pantry and more!
• Most people want to volunteer and just want/need someone to tell them where to be and when. I’ve found a lot of success setting up the volunteer outings for a few hours and just emailing folks with the details. Sign up your department, family and/or friends!

What are you passionate about? I guarantee there is an organization for you to assist with (if you can’t tell, helping end food insecurity is one of my passions). You can also look at websites such as www.volunteeryourtime.org or www.volunteermatch.org.

I’m excited to hear about your community efforts and love seeing credit unions' volunteer work on social media. “People helping people” isn’t just a slogan, it’s a way of life!