Posted on Apr 17, 2015
National Volunteer Appreciation Week: Are You a Volunteer?
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Yes, we all serve(d) in an all-volunteer military and, for that, your service is very much appreciated (by most of the country, at least)! However, you are compensated for your time in uniform, so it’s more like a quasi-volunteer. You “volunteered” to protect and defend the Constitution, you “volunteered” to be deployed to remote locations, you “volunteered” to give your life - and some of you did just that. Thank you to all of our past and current military “volunteers!”
For brevity, we won’t get into “volun-told.” Someone else can handle that Command Post article!
The volunteering I want to talk about is the description most of us think of when considering that word - freely offering to do something. Guess what? Volunteering is very abundant in the United States! One in four Americans volunteer in some capacity through organizations. Whether it’s serving meals at a mobile kitchen for the homeless, helping at a local animal shelter, or judging the local spelling bee, there are a variety of ways for people to serve our communities.
In case you weren’t aware (and I’m guessing that most of you weren’t aware!), April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month. As a leader in a national nonprofit organization, I fully recognize that volunteers are essential to the work of my organization and hundreds of thousands of other organizations that seek to serve our communities.
Just in the military and veteran space, there are over 40,000 nonprofits with the term “military” or “veteran” somewhere in their mission or vision statement. That’s a lot of organizations that need volunteers! You can look at the picture on this post from volunteeringamerica.gov to see the different types of organizations that our volunteers serve at.
So how actively does our military/veteran population serve as volunteers? Veterans serve at about a 1% higher rate than the rest of the population. More veterans serve in Utah than any state in the Union. Conversely, fewer veterans serve in Louisiana, but that’s consistent with Louisiana’s overall volunteer rate.
All of this leads to a question for our RallyPoint community: where do you volunteer? More importantly, why do you volunteer there? More often than not, we serve for an organization that has impacted us in some capacity. Some of you serve at your nearby Fisher House Foundation because they were there for you when you - or a family member - were injured. Some of you volunteer at veteran hiring fairs to help your comrades get the jobs they need and translate their résumés into civilian language. Some of you feel like you’ve given enough to the military and shy away from any volunteer activities associated with those in uniform, and choose other paths instead.
Regardless of where you serve - thank you for serving! Selfless service is not only an admirable trait while in uniform; it’s appreciated when you take off your uniform as well.
Post your comments below…it would be great to hear how our military population serves their country AND their community!
Finally, if you want an excellent resource, check out Volunteering and Civic Life in America: http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
For brevity, we won’t get into “volun-told.” Someone else can handle that Command Post article!
The volunteering I want to talk about is the description most of us think of when considering that word - freely offering to do something. Guess what? Volunteering is very abundant in the United States! One in four Americans volunteer in some capacity through organizations. Whether it’s serving meals at a mobile kitchen for the homeless, helping at a local animal shelter, or judging the local spelling bee, there are a variety of ways for people to serve our communities.
In case you weren’t aware (and I’m guessing that most of you weren’t aware!), April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month. As a leader in a national nonprofit organization, I fully recognize that volunteers are essential to the work of my organization and hundreds of thousands of other organizations that seek to serve our communities.
Just in the military and veteran space, there are over 40,000 nonprofits with the term “military” or “veteran” somewhere in their mission or vision statement. That’s a lot of organizations that need volunteers! You can look at the picture on this post from volunteeringamerica.gov to see the different types of organizations that our volunteers serve at.
So how actively does our military/veteran population serve as volunteers? Veterans serve at about a 1% higher rate than the rest of the population. More veterans serve in Utah than any state in the Union. Conversely, fewer veterans serve in Louisiana, but that’s consistent with Louisiana’s overall volunteer rate.
All of this leads to a question for our RallyPoint community: where do you volunteer? More importantly, why do you volunteer there? More often than not, we serve for an organization that has impacted us in some capacity. Some of you serve at your nearby Fisher House Foundation because they were there for you when you - or a family member - were injured. Some of you volunteer at veteran hiring fairs to help your comrades get the jobs they need and translate their résumés into civilian language. Some of you feel like you’ve given enough to the military and shy away from any volunteer activities associated with those in uniform, and choose other paths instead.
Regardless of where you serve - thank you for serving! Selfless service is not only an admirable trait while in uniform; it’s appreciated when you take off your uniform as well.
Post your comments below…it would be great to hear how our military population serves their country AND their community!
Finally, if you want an excellent resource, check out Volunteering and Civic Life in America: http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.
Posted in these groups: 
Volunteering
Command Post
Volunteering Command Post
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 39
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I'm one of those crazy people who actually raised my hand in uniform when leadership was looking for a volunteer. Because of it, I had the opportunity to do a lot of things I wouldn't have normally had the chance to do. Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of taking on too much and burning the candle at both ends. I have a hard time saying no when someone asks for my help, and sometimes get overwhelmed by everything I have going on.
Now that I'm retired (although my husband would really like me to find a job) I've enjoyed the opportunity to do some extra volunteering. Currently, as I stated in another post, I am the Volunteer Coordinator for a non-profit organization called Warriors on the Water. We put on an annual bass fishing tournament for 150 service members. All expenses are paid for through donations and sponsors. I joined the group 5 years ago as a Public Affairs Officer, but was invited to join the committee and became the Volunteer Coordinator. The organization was started as a way to say Thank You to currently serving military and this year we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary. I love the committee I work with, I enjoy giving a little something special to our military and am proud to be a part of this group. The funny part is, I don't fish. Although I did finally win a fishing pole at an event recently, so I might have to learn. :-)
Next, I am member of my communities Property Owners Association Advisory Council. I was asked to join the council shortly after moving to our current location because of my Public Affairs skills. I wrote the newsletter at first, and then we decided to go with a professional publisher. Now I chair the Adult Activities Committee which puts on quarterly events for the adults within our community. We have put on social events with themes and are currently planning a Murder Mystery Dinner in August. I do this work because it helps with my community.
Recently, I was asked to join the Women's Club in my community which does a great number of volunteer activities including highway cleanup, collecting food for a local food bank, helping in-need families of domestic violence and more. The group puts on an annual Art and crafts show and I've been asked to take over as chair for this annual event. I told them I probably won 'Best in Show' for my photography at the last show, as a way to encourage me to take on this role. I am looking at starting another project putting together a Melodrama group within our community. Not sure if it will fly, but will give it a shot.
I recently started volunteering at the Temple Theater in Sanford, NC. This small theater puts on several excellent productions throughout the year. I have a minor in Dramatic Arts, spent several years acting on stage and enjoy working with the theater, so needless to say, this is a good fit for me. It is fun for me, even if I'm only working back stage and not acting.
Finally, I have been asked to be a part of a couple of boards. The first board is for our local Charter Elementary School. Not sure I will be taking this one on. I don't have children myself, but I guess they don't really care about that. Second, I was asked to submit a packet to be on a VA Ethics Board that reviews requests for funding for medical research.
A fascinating opportunity, but this is not confirmed yet.
OK, I think that gives me a pretty full plate. I've tried helping out with RallyPoint, but have failed in that area due to timing. So, for now, I just try to contribute the best I can and hopefully I can be helpful from time to time. If I do go back to work, I will certainly have to determine what I am able to continue doing and what will need to take a back seat.
Now that I'm retired (although my husband would really like me to find a job) I've enjoyed the opportunity to do some extra volunteering. Currently, as I stated in another post, I am the Volunteer Coordinator for a non-profit organization called Warriors on the Water. We put on an annual bass fishing tournament for 150 service members. All expenses are paid for through donations and sponsors. I joined the group 5 years ago as a Public Affairs Officer, but was invited to join the committee and became the Volunteer Coordinator. The organization was started as a way to say Thank You to currently serving military and this year we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary. I love the committee I work with, I enjoy giving a little something special to our military and am proud to be a part of this group. The funny part is, I don't fish. Although I did finally win a fishing pole at an event recently, so I might have to learn. :-)
Next, I am member of my communities Property Owners Association Advisory Council. I was asked to join the council shortly after moving to our current location because of my Public Affairs skills. I wrote the newsletter at first, and then we decided to go with a professional publisher. Now I chair the Adult Activities Committee which puts on quarterly events for the adults within our community. We have put on social events with themes and are currently planning a Murder Mystery Dinner in August. I do this work because it helps with my community.
Recently, I was asked to join the Women's Club in my community which does a great number of volunteer activities including highway cleanup, collecting food for a local food bank, helping in-need families of domestic violence and more. The group puts on an annual Art and crafts show and I've been asked to take over as chair for this annual event. I told them I probably won 'Best in Show' for my photography at the last show, as a way to encourage me to take on this role. I am looking at starting another project putting together a Melodrama group within our community. Not sure if it will fly, but will give it a shot.
I recently started volunteering at the Temple Theater in Sanford, NC. This small theater puts on several excellent productions throughout the year. I have a minor in Dramatic Arts, spent several years acting on stage and enjoy working with the theater, so needless to say, this is a good fit for me. It is fun for me, even if I'm only working back stage and not acting.
Finally, I have been asked to be a part of a couple of boards. The first board is for our local Charter Elementary School. Not sure I will be taking this one on. I don't have children myself, but I guess they don't really care about that. Second, I was asked to submit a packet to be on a VA Ethics Board that reviews requests for funding for medical research.
A fascinating opportunity, but this is not confirmed yet.
OK, I think that gives me a pretty full plate. I've tried helping out with RallyPoint, but have failed in that area due to timing. So, for now, I just try to contribute the best I can and hopefully I can be helpful from time to time. If I do go back to work, I will certainly have to determine what I am able to continue doing and what will need to take a back seat.
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LTC Jason Strickland
LTC Hillary Luton, I recall you mentioning that when we met at #RPx last year. Thanks for volunteering - no matter who you're serving!
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LTC Hillary Luton
I know I mentioned it before, but wanted to share a few pics from last Friday's Warriors on the Water tournament. It was a great event and well received.
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Yes I am. I volunteer in helping veterans. I am a Hospice Volunteer in a Veterans-to-Veterans Hospice Program and I am also a member of "Bugles Across America" where I volunteer to play Taps, live, at Military Funerals. I also do volunteer work for the VFW & American Legion Post to the local schools in our area by giving lectures to the students about Veterans and the true meaning of Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
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LTC Jason Strickland
Sgt David G Duchesneau, hospice is a tough volunteer gig and it takes special people to do it. Keep it up!
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Sgt David G Duchesneau
I have found that many combat veterans, at the end of their life, had no one to talk to about what they went through during their Service to our Country and because of my background and experience, a Vietnam Combat Veteran, I am able to give them an opportunity to really open up and talk about what they did and experienced. I know that it has been a blessing for them and their family to finally get all of those haunts , that they have been carrying around for years, off of their minds before they pass on to their next duty station. I can tell you that you can actually see the inner peace come over them as they rid themselves of this long overdue burden.
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currently Volunteer with DAV and American Legion preparing Soldiers for transition from military service and ensuring that they receive benefits from VA that they earned. Daunting task of ensuring medical records are correct for the VA compensation claims.
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LTC Jason Strickland
MAJ Martin Verboom - both are very worthy organizations for our transitioning service members!
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