The Intentional Volunteer Podcast- Episode 004

 

004: Volunteers Behaving Badly Part 2

 

Happy endings are what we look for when we try to help! As volunteers we are driven by a heart to give! People respond with heartfelt good intentions. But to be effective, an intentional volunteer is careful not to create additional barriers for the organization or individuals being served.

 

Hosts Cari and John continue the conversation about volunteers behaving badly – when volunteers unintentionally cause more harm than good. Cari recaps her story about volunteering in Belarus, and confesses that as soon as she went to work for the organization, she made a mistake when planning how to distribute toys to the children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.  

Cari - “I had failed to do the most basic things, which was to ask the folks who were doing the work”

John and Cari compare notes on living in tornado country, and share stories of relief efforts following the 2013 tornados in central Oklahoma.

Dr. Shari Zimmerman shares a story from her PhD research of a university research project that resulted in participants in a community garden program abandoning the garden. Cari introduces The Intentional Volunteer’s “west coast correspondent” Alli Holmes, an experienced volunteer and volunteer leader.

Mentions:

• Belarus and the Chernobyl Disaster
• The Anatomy of Giving by Augusta Dwyer
• AmeriCorps
• SBP -Organization responding to disasters
• Hurricane Sandy Fast Facts
• VOAD – Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters
• Consumer Report – Best Ways to Help in Aftermath of a Natural Disaster
• Charity Navigator – Tips for Giving in Times of Crisis
• The Intentional Volunteer “HELP” poster

 

 

Thanks to our sponsor, Crossover Radio. You can stream Crossover Radio at crossoverradio.org, download the app in the App Store or on Google Play, or connect at facebook.com/thecrossoverradio.

 

The Intentional Volunteer believes that you can change the world, your urge to help is a gift, and the best path to real change is listening, learning, and then serving.