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Finding and Cultivating Volunteers
Get to know the people in your group and get a sense
of where they are in their recovery.
This will
allow a sense of when to approach an individual about volunteering, and
the extent to which he/she will be able to contribute.
Start small. If a person is
given a volunteer opportunity which will overwhelm him/her, it will not
only negatively affect his/her self-esteem, but may make him/her
reluctant to volunteer again; or worse, be embarrassed to return to the
group.
Offer lots of support and assistance. Although
this may initially take more time than if you just "did it
yourself", as a person becomes confident in his/her abilities, they
may feel better able to eventually take on more and work independently.
So the investment of time could eventually pay off for both of you.
Offer an abundance of thanks and praise for a job well
done. This hardly needs explaining, as we all
feel better when we know we’ve done something that is worthwhile and
appreciated, and are given recognition for it.
Share you own experiences regarding volunteer work.
Talk about challenges you’ve had to face; how you’ve dealt with
them; how volunteering has helped in your own recovery; share what you’ve
learned.
Encourage the concept of "group ownership". By
emphasizing that the group belongs to the members, it helps to motivate
individuals to become involved. Leadership is only a way to direct and
facilitate group dynamics, but individual participation and volunteers
are what enable the group to develop and grow in a positive direction.
Enlist the assistance of current volunteers to mentor
new volunteers. One way of doing this is to
form committees with a "seasoned" volunteer as the
chairperson. Another is to "team up" – for example, if your
group puts out a newsletter, have the person currently in charge of the
newsletter take on an "apprentice".
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