WWYD...Clarity over situation sought...

[wahm]

I have been unable to find a job since Nov. Someone suggested volunteering in the meantime. I live in a rural community, so there are not many opportunities. I approached our community center, interviewed, and they said "yes".

I worked for them a couple days a week doing some small marketing projects. Then, they told me they did not have anything else at the moment, so I asked them to call me as soon as they did. I even checked in two weeks later when they called me to fill in, on short notice, for an absent staff member, which I did. Later, they claimed they had forgotten about me. Hmmm..they remembered me whey they needed a fill-in.

Three weeks went by and no call. One day I went there to pick up my kids, who are involved in after school programs there, and I was approached about filling in for the person who manages my eldest daughters after-school program. I agreed that I would fill in if the administrator called me to discuss why I had not been called or spoken to in over 3 weeks to do more administrative tasks. It was a "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine" situation. The whole reason for me ever approaching the community center in the first place was for me to gain current experience as related to my degree, and obviously, they get more tasks accomplished...for free.

So he, the administrator, calls me and claims that they forgot. Yet they did not forget about me really because now they are asking me to fill in for someone on a regular basis. I reiterated that I needed work related experience and that I would fill in on the requested days if they would give me administrative tasks on those days. We came to an agreement.

Three weeks later, it appears as if they have "forgotten" again as they had no tasks for me this week or last week...again.

What would you do? Am I seeing this clearly? It appears they they need me only for their own agenda while forgetting that I had a goal, too, and that we could help each other. It's really looking one-sided, here. It feels like I am practically begging just to volunteer my skills.

[BellinghamCrunchie]

I honestly think its very likely they really did forget. We have volunteers at our agency and no one thinks to call them unless the situation gets dire then suddenly someone says, "oh, why don't we call X???" And then its like, "Oh yeah! We have volunteers!"

We get in the habit of thinking of only our paid employees when filling in shifts or for special tasks. Its just a mindset. Its also hard to ask someone for free help - it just is.

But if we had a volunteer who raised any kind of waves, at all, we probably wouldn't call them, honestly. Last thing most agencies need is any kind of employee "personality" issues, even if ITS NOT TRUE that the employee or volunteer has any issues whatsoever. Its just perceived that way.

From an agency perspective, there's nothing I would like better than an enthusiastic, friendly volunteer who called every couple days to remind me they exist and offer their help. Not too much to be pushy and not infrequently enough that I forget about them. I would even like it if a volunteer called and said, "Hey, its a beautiful day today and I'm loving the idea of working in the yard! Can I come weed the flower beds today?" or suggest a task to me they'd like to do. I'm unlikely to say no to that sort of enthusiasm!

[Learning_Mum]

I might be misunderstanding but I think they're being reasonable. It sounds like you offered to work when they needed help and they've been calling you when they need it.

The point of volunteering is helping an organisation for free when they need it. Just because you volunteer they doesn't necessarily give you work regularly.

I'm not sure what it is you do but have you tried signing up with an agency that supplies temps? If you work in an adminstrative role you might be able to get regular one or two day employment (filling in when people are sick etc) and you'd get paid for it.

[prone_to_wander]

What a crappy way to treat a volunteer. I've worked in Volunteer Services before and we worked really hard to make volunteering a good experience where they felt needed.

At another job I had in an office we had volunteers who we struggled to find work for. Often, we needed to work to create work for them. You want a volunteer feel like they are needed. But it can sometimes end up being busy work.

I'd look at volunteering elsewhere if you can.

[ElliesMomma]

move on. it obviously bugs you, you feel unappreciated, and they are probably beginning to not want you around, honestly, if they can sense the tension, too.

i don't know if you have worked before, but this is how it is out there. and getting worse, i might add, due to the economy and so many people being out of work. employers want to believe that they are doing you a favor by providing a job... even, in your case, an *unpaid* job.

but you have your point, too, in that you *are* working for free.

so if you're not happy there, you are unlikely to force them to change.

just, move on.