Here’s the deal – the moment you start working somewhere you can no longer volunteer in the same place. This doesn’t always work this way but it can. The issue is that the moment you’re employed, your time is a commodity that you must be paid for.
I will beginning working at the MCM Rochester as a Floor Lead in one week.
I had been debating whether or not I should accept the position for some time. Accepting the job means I can no longer volunteer at MCM. But the truth is, I will still be spending time helping out.
Another important lesson to learn from this is that volunteering can and should lead to potential job offerings.
(Momentary Tangent) Did you know that some companies now have robots looking through the resumes sent to them as job applications? These robot look for specific words in the text and, if they find them, the resume is tossed.
So if you can become a real person, as opposed to a piece of paper, to these companies, you’re chances of being hired may be increased. More importantly, volunteering allows you some time to decide whether or not you enjoy working somewhere.
Final Message: Get out there and volunteer, my friends.
Showing posts with label Rochester. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rochester. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Rochester Public Library: HELP!
Who? High School students and beyond can volunteer.
Volunteer Process Time: Took me around 2 months but the process can be shortened if you quickly contact the volunteer coordinators.
Website: http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/
Thursday, January 10th marked my first tutoring session at the Rochester Public Library. The experience was great but I quickly learned that I couldn’t make an impact without assistance from other volunteers.
The first two young adults that entered the tutoring room were looking for help with their mathematic homework. I can figure a problem out given time, but I’m no math pro. We would have been lost if another tutoring volunteer hadn’t of arrived. Even better, the volunteer tutor was a math teacher.
Volunteering at a new place can be tricky. That’s why my motto is to never be like the guy who keeps driving and refuses to stop and ask for directions. We all need some help.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester: Spark
This is something I’ve only found while performing volunteer work. Specifically, I’ve only encountered the spark while working with kids. On Friday, Jan. 4, I found the spark again.
I had been playing with cushion blocks at the museum’s architecture and design exhibit when I asked a very young lady if she would like to help me build something. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. But the girl pointed up at a suggested design and we got to work.
We proceeded to build an arch and then a small doorway by building up the cushion blocks. She relished in the opportunity to hesitantly knock the constructions down once they were completed. Seeing what we had created, two young boys offered to help and one of them had an idea.
Spark.
His eyes dilate and go wide. A smile spreads across his face. He gets it and, most importantly, he has an idea to add! The moment disappears in a flash of jumping and running and building of blocks.
First we built a house, then it was a tiger’s cave, and then it was a tiger’s maze and eventually a space ship, which we used to travel to a desert. In the middle of the desert, we had to escape from a shark into the safety of our space ship, only to repeat the same adventure. More kids joined into our fun and they brought their ideas.
If you can think back to a moment when you experienced the “spark,” please leave a comment and let me know.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester: Volunteer Orientation
My volunteer orientation with the Minnesota Children’s Museum of Rochester is complete. We went through an informational PowerPoint, discussed learning techniques and played with Play-Doh®. What else would you do in training to become a “Playologist?”
I’ve been through a few of these orientations and, although the experience varies by organization, there are a few actions you can perform to ensure your success.
1) Be happy. Smile while greeting other volunteers or employees of the organization.
2) Firm handshakes and good pronunciation of your name. The goal here is being remembered. Some volunteer coordinators see a lot of volunteers in a given day. Don’t go overboard by dancing or screaming … too much … but ensure your presence is known.
3) Get to know another volunteer. May sure you’re paying attention to the orientation speaker but, if you get a chance, chat with another volunteer. It’s good to have friends at work for questions, problem solving and collaboration.
4) Know the job. Orientation is a great time for asking questions. If the job isn’t clear, ask as many questions as possible. Once you’re on the floor, you may not have the guidance you’re getting in orientation.
5) Have fun. You’re a volunteer, doing good work for a good cause. If you enjoy parts of the orientation, you will have a great time working for the organization.
I’ve been through a few of these orientations and, although the experience varies by organization, there are a few actions you can perform to ensure your success.
1) Be happy. Smile while greeting other volunteers or employees of the organization.
2) Firm handshakes and good pronunciation of your name. The goal here is being remembered. Some volunteer coordinators see a lot of volunteers in a given day. Don’t go overboard by dancing or screaming … too much … but ensure your presence is known.
3) Get to know another volunteer. May sure you’re paying attention to the orientation speaker but, if you get a chance, chat with another volunteer. It’s good to have friends at work for questions, problem solving and collaboration.
4) Know the job. Orientation is a great time for asking questions. If the job isn’t clear, ask as many questions as possible. Once you’re on the floor, you may not have the guidance you’re getting in orientation.
5) Have fun. You’re a volunteer, doing good work for a good cause. If you enjoy parts of the orientation, you will have a great time working for the organization.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Rochester Public Library: Tricks of the Trade
What? A public source for books, learning, events and more. Volunteer work includes tutoring, maintaining a book store, and working toward tidying up shelves with circulation.
Who? Mature high school students and up.
Volunteer Process Time: It took me a little over a month but can be done in two weeks time.
Website: http://www.rochesterpubliclibrary.org/
Soon, I will be volunteering at the library!
I completed orientation on Monday, Dec. 17 and should be able to start volunteering within the week.
For as long as I can remember, the smell and sound of pages turning has been comforting. I suppose one trick to the game of volunteer work is to make sure you do it somewhere that interest, excites, comforts or motivates you.
I hope to be tutoring, helping out with the library Facebook page and more. I will keep you posted.
Boys & Girls Club: Overcoming Chaos
Alright, its time to be honest. Volunteering with youth, no matter where you are, is going to be chaotic. Here’s my advice.
1) Remain calm.
2) Approach and address children one at a time.
3) Remember each child is unique and it will take time for you to understand him or her. Likewise, it will take time for children to understand who you are.
I’m inspired to jot down of few words of advice and encouragement while performing a youth service position because, as fun as it can be, small things make your work as a volunteer difficult.
For an entire hour of volunteer work on Monday, Dec. 17th, L was jumping out from corners of the room and screaming in my ears. I’ve struggled with this same young gentleman enough times in the past to know that he uses screaming as a coping mechanism.
Screaming, at least for L, helps him deal with stress. However, L manages to scream his stress directly into me.
So what do you do?
1) Remain calm and take a second to think about what to say.
2) Focus in on L and pay less attention your surroundings. The brain can focus and really zero in on one thing at a time. The Boys & Girls Club serves a lot of youth and there are a lot of distractions – but when it comes time to mentor a child, you need to focus.
3) Speak with with L. Discover screaming is “fun” for him. Explain, “L, I admire your creativity, but I think it would be best if you used it towards something that doesn’t harm or negatively impact others. You’re hurting my ears, buddy.”
4) Here’s an important step: Acknowledge that you aren’t going to permanently change a child’s life with one conversation. L continued to scream until he received a STEP (the discipline policy at the Boys & Girls Club, Rochester).
I’d like to comment on my last tip. Volunteers perform an awesome service and make a HUMONGOUS difference – one uninspired by the changing hands of money. However, remember to have fun, keep a positive attitude and give up some of the control.
You can’t always be the hero, changing lives for the better and keeping everyone safe. Other people don’t need a hero – not if we want them to grow up to be independent leaders.
Volunteer service is all about new friends, new experiences and good times.
1) Remain calm.
2) Approach and address children one at a time.
3) Remember each child is unique and it will take time for you to understand him or her. Likewise, it will take time for children to understand who you are.
I’m inspired to jot down of few words of advice and encouragement while performing a youth service position because, as fun as it can be, small things make your work as a volunteer difficult.
For an entire hour of volunteer work on Monday, Dec. 17th, L was jumping out from corners of the room and screaming in my ears. I’ve struggled with this same young gentleman enough times in the past to know that he uses screaming as a coping mechanism.
Screaming, at least for L, helps him deal with stress. However, L manages to scream his stress directly into me.
So what do you do?
1) Remain calm and take a second to think about what to say.
2) Focus in on L and pay less attention your surroundings. The brain can focus and really zero in on one thing at a time. The Boys & Girls Club serves a lot of youth and there are a lot of distractions – but when it comes time to mentor a child, you need to focus.
3) Speak with with L. Discover screaming is “fun” for him. Explain, “L, I admire your creativity, but I think it would be best if you used it towards something that doesn’t harm or negatively impact others. You’re hurting my ears, buddy.”
4) Here’s an important step: Acknowledge that you aren’t going to permanently change a child’s life with one conversation. L continued to scream until he received a STEP (the discipline policy at the Boys & Girls Club, Rochester).
I’d like to comment on my last tip. Volunteers perform an awesome service and make a HUMONGOUS difference – one uninspired by the changing hands of money. However, remember to have fun, keep a positive attitude and give up some of the control.
You can’t always be the hero, changing lives for the better and keeping everyone safe. Other people don’t need a hero – not if we want them to grow up to be independent leaders.
Volunteer service is all about new friends, new experiences and good times.
Rochester Chamber of Commerce: Serendipity
Who? Depends upon the volunteer project. The one I did was posted in a member email.
Volunteer Process Time: For my project, 12 hours.
Website: https://www.rochestermnchamber.com/
Does volunteering mean you get the chance to travel, meet awesome people, do exciting things like bungee jumping and parachuting out of an airplane? Not necessarily, I’ve learned, but you might be able to see a basketball-playing robot.
All it takes to experience random volunteer adventure is an email, a post in the newspaper, a slip on a bulletin board, et cetera.
You must always be careful and verify you’re volunteering with a legitimate organization, but risk-taking is essential.
V Tip 006: Take a chance and go for it.
I volunteered to help clean up the First® Lego® Tournament hosted by Rochester Chamber of Commerce.
The event itself was exciting: groups of kids aged 6-9 wearing the same colored shirt, all cheering on the basketball-playing robot or themselves when it was time to hand out awards.
Cleaning up was less exciting: pulling down and carefully untying cameras, carrying tables, and attempting idle chit chat.
But volunteer work is a lot like showing up at a ritzy art gathering with a ketchup stain down your shirt. The pain is worth a few laughs, a few life lessons, and an awesome story.
A First® Lego® team accepts their reward.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Boys & Girls Club: A Blizzard of Inspiration
V Tip 004: Use the tools around you to make your job successful.
Dec 10, 2012: It snowed two days ago; the first time we've had a real snow fall in the community in almost 300 days. Volunteer work requires that you take advantage of changes like this. It’s new. It’s fresh. It makes Boys & Girls Club kids want to sled. And so we did.
It was 5:00 pm and the typical schedule of the Boys & Girls Club required that we did something academic during that time: completing homework, reading or working on an art project. Instead, we went outside to sled.
I made sure the sledding happened by getting a Boys & Girls Club staff to come with us, by obtaining sleds from the Club closet and by asking a few educational questions before pushing kids down the hill, whooping and laughing.
“What is snow made out of?”
“What is 12 X 5?”
“What is a cumulus cloud?”
In between the questions, M complained about her freezing fingers and I lent her my gloves. S later complained that his ears were freezing and I lent him my hat. Oftentimes, the easiest solution is right in front of you.
Dec 10, 2012: It snowed two days ago; the first time we've had a real snow fall in the community in almost 300 days. Volunteer work requires that you take advantage of changes like this. It’s new. It’s fresh. It makes Boys & Girls Club kids want to sled. And so we did.
It was 5:00 pm and the typical schedule of the Boys & Girls Club required that we did something academic during that time: completing homework, reading or working on an art project. Instead, we went outside to sled.
I made sure the sledding happened by getting a Boys & Girls Club staff to come with us, by obtaining sleds from the Club closet and by asking a few educational questions before pushing kids down the hill, whooping and laughing.
“What is snow made out of?”
“What is 12 X 5?”
“What is a cumulus cloud?”
In between the questions, M complained about her freezing fingers and I lent her my gloves. S later complained that his ears were freezing and I lent him my hat. Oftentimes, the easiest solution is right in front of you.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Minnesota Children's Museum, Rochester: Live - Laugh - Play
What? Learning through play for infants to grade school children. This is a satellite site of Minneapolis’s museum.
Who? Mature high school students and older
Volunteer Process Time: With contacts, I made it through in one week
Website: http://rochester.mcm.org
It’s finally going to happen. After years of debating whether I’d become a doctor, a lawyer, a writer, an astronaut, a dinosaur or a super villain, I've decided to become a Playologist!
“Playologist” is the name for volunteers of the Minnesota Children’s Museum, Rochester. I’m loving the basic concept: learning through play.
This upcoming Thursday, I will be patrolling the small, restaurant-sized Children’s Museum for opportunities to play, ask questions and goof off. Roughly two months back, I had the opportunity to dress up as Clifford the Big Red Dog at the Minnesota Children’s Museum, Rochester and, despite the countless terrified children; I had a blast playing the role of one of my childhood heroes (who doesn't love a friendly red dog the size of a house?). I can only hope I will have as much fun when the true me is revealed.
More to come,
Andy Seifert, Playologist
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Boys & Girls Club of Rochester: Let It Be
“Do you want to see how fast I can drink this water?” said T.
"You are the Lava Monster," A said, refusing to negotiate, "and you can’t climb up here to tag us. You have to stay down there.
Many adults would have answered, “No,” to the previous two statements. But I don’t see how that would be possible. Volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club on 12/5/12 taught me in invaluable lesson that I can’t get out of my head. It’s too catchy.
V Tip 002: Let it be, let it be ….
Barbara Coloroso, youth speaker and author of “kids are worth it,” argues that if a situation isn't life threatening or morally threatening to children, they should get the chance to live it out. I’m a volunteer, not a parent, but I want Boys & Girls Club kids to grow up as independent leaders and sculptors of a changing world. These leaders need to grow in their own worlds – we need to let them be.
No, I’m not recommending youth service volunteers permit bullying, violence or worse before their own eyes. But today, T tackled me when I entered the building. L crept close to my face and screamed. D decided he didn't want anyone to talk to him ever again. “Okay,” I said, offering guidance but playing right along. I caught T, made faces right back at L and gave D the space he needed while waiting five yards away. All volunteers should aspire to become the Lava Monster.
"You are the Lava Monster," A said, refusing to negotiate, "and you can’t climb up here to tag us. You have to stay down there.
Many adults would have answered, “No,” to the previous two statements. But I don’t see how that would be possible. Volunteering at the Boys & Girls Club on 12/5/12 taught me in invaluable lesson that I can’t get out of my head. It’s too catchy.
V Tip 002: Let it be, let it be ….
Barbara Coloroso, youth speaker and author of “kids are worth it,” argues that if a situation isn't life threatening or morally threatening to children, they should get the chance to live it out. I’m a volunteer, not a parent, but I want Boys & Girls Club kids to grow up as independent leaders and sculptors of a changing world. These leaders need to grow in their own worlds – we need to let them be.
No, I’m not recommending youth service volunteers permit bullying, violence or worse before their own eyes. But today, T tackled me when I entered the building. L crept close to my face and screamed. D decided he didn't want anyone to talk to him ever again. “Okay,” I said, offering guidance but playing right along. I caught T, made faces right back at L and gave D the space he needed while waiting five yards away. All volunteers should aspire to become the Lava Monster.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Boys & Girls Club of Rochester: World Exhileration
What? A safe place where kids can hang out.
Who? Members ages 6 – 18 with volunteers ages 21 +
Volunteer Positions: Mentorship, tutoring, music, language, fitness, sports and more upon request.
Volunteer Process Time: Two week minimum.
More Info: http://www.bgclubroch.org
We threw open the two front doors. Unleashing our freedom, we ran. You could do that outside: no reminders that we needed to walk, no circle time, no homework and no worries. It was only inevitable that our running turned into a race. M, S and little K took off sprinting toward the far fence. “You think you can outrun me,” I must have said, touching the fence first. K giggled and raced back from where we started.
Volunteering Tip 001: Keep an open mind and, like a veteran traveler, revel in new experiences. Volunteering somewhere new is like entering another world or engaging others who have a different culture than your own. You take it all in, adapt and join in the movement.
After racing and playing a few energetic games of Dodgeball, I reentered the Boys & Girls Club building on Dec. 3, 2012, realizing how unique an experience it is to hang out with people of every single age group.
• T talks about his kid traveling the world. He’s worried, excited, and uncertain whether or not I could understand what it’s like.
• C talks with me about his Red Ninja Lego warrior. He wants me to help make him an entire world.
• A and M talk about Twilight with me. They’d rather not say if they are team Edward or Jacob because it might get too heated.
• I ask B about riding bicycles at night. He tells me to go for it.
• R is practicing logging onto the computer. She cries when an educational web site won’t accept her password and I tell her its okay.
When you volunteer in places like this, you learn something new every day. You may not know what your role will be – mentor, listening ear, friend, confidant, food source, punching bag, or tutor. But, given time, you feel like a part of a boisterous family. Loving every minute of it.
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