Here in Wisconsin, unless you’re living in Milwaukee or Madison, there are few genuine volunteer opportunities. Sure, one can mow the lawn of a church or dust shelves at the local library—but non-altruistic activities usually outweigh the free grunt labor.
I used to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. I considered each time there genuine. I helped with three houses over three summers (age 15 16 17--before they had an age requirement). Hammering nails, putting up siding, painting, etc. At age 22, after taking the student GWWC pledge and becoming vegetarian, I decided I could still volunteer locally for Habitat. EAs can still volunteer locally. Even if, I believe, the greater more important struggle is lessening absolute poverty. And so I volunteered, twice for a fourth summer. For the experience (or the misnomer “self care”).
Although, in my hometown, Habitat changed. They now get the workers of large companies (and the company pays for their time). I still pounded some nails, moving though the rafters like a monkey; a few other odd jobs too—but I really wasn’t needed anymore.
Even before, not every weekend was there a bunch of work to do, and one could always clean up the site and do prep work for the next phase. But today (for the Habitat in my hometown) it’s different. They have a large pool of workers. I was “extra.” And everyone else was getting paid!
In the end, the picture isn’t that bleak. There is always an opportunity to do good. It just won’t be formally defined or published. Informally, one can post on Craigslist to shovel snow for elderly or disabled people. Or ask a librarian to put up EA posters. And that’s where I’m at right now. I’m looking for EA posters specifically for university students (to put up in academic buildings). Audience targeting is crucial.
I think volunteering opportunities that aren’t formally defined are often the highest impact available. Well done for finding an opportunity to do good in your town.
I don’t think it’s something that can be defined. An experience is unique. The outcome is unknown. Sure, you could come up with some general ideas:
activist networking (potential EAs ~ i.e., guiding an altruistic person into being effective—or at least pondering the core question: How to do the most good?) opposed to getting someone who hasn’t volunteered a day in their life
the power of a positive role models
general methods or how to approach new things or refining work ethic, such as always finding work to do—even if it’s cleaning, preparing or planning the next task
unknown “career capital” (e.g., learning how to use power tools which will greatly improve my chance of gaining an electrical engineering internship at a power tool company years later)
unknown unknown
That is why, I simply like to use Experience. It’s multidimensional—not fit for a spreadsheet.
Although, there are different types of volunteer positions too. I’m really only discussing unskilled volunteer opportunities. They’re usually not a formal “position” per se.
On the other hand, skilled volunteer opportunities require more time. And that’s where I lose the scent of the trail. I’m just a college student.
I personally believe that just making money “paid work or skill-building” would outweigh local volunteering here in the States (unless living in a major city). But I’m not acknowledging the fact that just convincing one person (such during a local volunteering opportunity) to become an EA would make much more of an impact. But then again that’s unknown—a second unknown. Not only is the Experience itself unknown; it’s unknown who I can convince (what I like to think of as “convert” ~ a lifestyle change in my mind).
I’ve never been able to convince a friend, family or classmate about EA. That’s why all I really think these days is about informing people about the suffering of chickens within our borders and of absolute poverty abroad. Marginal efforts, yet worthy of mention. Something worth the breath rather than complaining about professors ;)
And putting up posters! around campus specifically geared towards university students. Seems to me, page 67, that Solomon makes a good point about using more pathos than logos: Singer And His Critics (1999).
Here in Wisconsin, unless you’re living in Milwaukee or Madison, there are few genuine volunteer opportunities. Sure, one can mow the lawn of a church or dust shelves at the local library—but non-altruistic activities usually outweigh the free grunt labor.
I used to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. I considered each time there genuine. I helped with three houses over three summers (age 15 16 17--before they had an age requirement). Hammering nails, putting up siding, painting, etc. At age 22, after taking the student GWWC pledge and becoming vegetarian, I decided I could still volunteer locally for Habitat. EAs can still volunteer locally. Even if, I believe, the greater more important struggle is lessening absolute poverty. And so I volunteered, twice for a fourth summer. For the experience (or the misnomer “self care”).
Although, in my hometown, Habitat changed. They now get the workers of large companies (and the company pays for their time). I still pounded some nails, moving though the rafters like a monkey; a few other odd jobs too—but I really wasn’t needed anymore.
Even before, not every weekend was there a bunch of work to do, and one could always clean up the site and do prep work for the next phase. But today (for the Habitat in my hometown) it’s different. They have a large pool of workers. I was “extra.” And everyone else was getting paid!
In the end, the picture isn’t that bleak. There is always an opportunity to do good. It just won’t be formally defined or published. Informally, one can post on Craigslist to shovel snow for elderly or disabled people. Or ask a librarian to put up EA posters. And that’s where I’m at right now. I’m looking for EA posters specifically for university students (to put up in academic buildings). Audience targeting is crucial.
I think volunteering opportunities that aren’t formally defined are often the highest impact available. Well done for finding an opportunity to do good in your town.
“the misnomer self-care” I’m also not about the name for this category of motivation. Can you think of a better name for it?
I don’t think it’s something that can be defined. An experience is unique. The outcome is unknown. Sure, you could come up with some general ideas:
activist networking (potential EAs ~ i.e., guiding an altruistic person into being effective—or at least pondering the core question: How to do the most good?) opposed to getting someone who hasn’t volunteered a day in their life
the power of a positive role models
general methods or how to approach new things or refining work ethic, such as always finding work to do—even if it’s cleaning, preparing or planning the next task
unknown “career capital” (e.g., learning how to use power tools which will greatly improve my chance of gaining an electrical engineering internship at a power tool company years later)
unknown unknown
That is why, I simply like to use Experience. It’s multidimensional—not fit for a spreadsheet. Although, there are different types of volunteer positions too. I’m really only discussing unskilled volunteer opportunities. They’re usually not a formal “position” per se.
On the other hand, skilled volunteer opportunities require more time. And that’s where I lose the scent of the trail. I’m just a college student.
I personally believe that just making money “paid work or skill-building” would outweigh local volunteering here in the States (unless living in a major city). But I’m not acknowledging the fact that just convincing one person (such during a local volunteering opportunity) to become an EA would make much more of an impact. But then again that’s unknown—a second unknown. Not only is the Experience itself unknown; it’s unknown who I can convince (what I like to think of as “convert” ~ a lifestyle change in my mind).
I’ve never been able to convince a friend, family or classmate about EA. That’s why all I really think these days is about informing people about the suffering of chickens within our borders and of absolute poverty abroad. Marginal efforts, yet worthy of mention. Something worth the breath rather than complaining about professors ;)
And putting up posters! around campus specifically geared towards university students. Seems to me, page 67, that Solomon makes a good point about using more pathos than logos: Singer And His Critics (1999).