There are a lot of things that I love about the work that I am doing. But, I would have to say that the area where I feel most natural is in my work with the volunteers. So far I have had 17 volunteers come through and I have enjoyed every one of them. Let’s face it…I love being a “mom” even if it is to people my own age.
The most rewarding aspect of working with the volunteers is seeing them get excited about fair trade. Our volunteers come to us for a variety of reasons, but few of them have a solid grasp on what fair trade is and how it works. And, much like a mother, I want to share my ideals with my “children”. I want the volunteers to really understand fair trade and leave feeling like they have experienced it on a personal level. Recently, after presenting the orientation to a large group of volunteers, one of them came back from lunch and said “None of us really knew about fair trade, but now you’ve gotten us all excited and we were all talking through lunch about how we want to start fair trade businesses.” As silly as it may be, this thrilled me!
Getting to be a part of someone’s unforgettable life experience is a delight. I had a similar sense of joy when I was a resident assistant in college. I simply enjoy seeing people learn and grow as individuals and use that knowledge to better the world.
Each of the volunteers brings different skills and gifts. The beauty of the work we do is that there is not one skill or gift that would prove to be unbeneficial. This year we have done projects on everything from marketing to computer training to design to workshop development. Seeing the projects come to fruition and the volunteers recognize that the work they have done will truly make a difference is immensely rewarding.
Of course, I also love the family atmosphere that comes with having lots of volunteers in the house. At our peak this summer we had 14 volunteers in the house at one time! We enjoyed large, family style meals together and then gathered on the porch or in the living room to play cards, catch phrase, "If", or…to simply talk. The noise and activity made me feel truly at home.
As things have quieted down after the summer rush I am enjoying the time to reflect on the great people I have been privileged to work and live with, as well as learn from and teach, so far this year. To any of you volunteers that might read this, thank you for sharing your time and energy with us; the women, the organization and I have benefited greatly! I am excited to see who else will journey our way throughout the rest of the year.
The most rewarding aspect of working with the volunteers is seeing them get excited about fair trade. Our volunteers come to us for a variety of reasons, but few of them have a solid grasp on what fair trade is and how it works. And, much like a mother, I want to share my ideals with my “children”. I want the volunteers to really understand fair trade and leave feeling like they have experienced it on a personal level. Recently, after presenting the orientation to a large group of volunteers, one of them came back from lunch and said “None of us really knew about fair trade, but now you’ve gotten us all excited and we were all talking through lunch about how we want to start fair trade businesses.” As silly as it may be, this thrilled me!
Getting to be a part of someone’s unforgettable life experience is a delight. I had a similar sense of joy when I was a resident assistant in college. I simply enjoy seeing people learn and grow as individuals and use that knowledge to better the world.
Each of the volunteers brings different skills and gifts. The beauty of the work we do is that there is not one skill or gift that would prove to be unbeneficial. This year we have done projects on everything from marketing to computer training to design to workshop development. Seeing the projects come to fruition and the volunteers recognize that the work they have done will truly make a difference is immensely rewarding.
Of course, I also love the family atmosphere that comes with having lots of volunteers in the house. At our peak this summer we had 14 volunteers in the house at one time! We enjoyed large, family style meals together and then gathered on the porch or in the living room to play cards, catch phrase, "If", or…to simply talk. The noise and activity made me feel truly at home.
As things have quieted down after the summer rush I am enjoying the time to reflect on the great people I have been privileged to work and live with, as well as learn from and teach, so far this year. To any of you volunteers that might read this, thank you for sharing your time and energy with us; the women, the organization and I have benefited greatly! I am excited to see who else will journey our way throughout the rest of the year.
