Volunteering - It is Priceless

How many of you received end of the year appeals for donations to great causes? So many nonprofits are in crunch time in December to try and meet their yearly goals. These financial donations are greatly appreciated by everyone in the nonprofit world. It’s what allows our organizations to help many thousands of people in the Capital District and beyond.  But what do you do if you can’t give financially or just want to do more? That’s easy! Give the gift of volunteering!

The ADA's veteran volunteers!

Volunteers are the backbone of any nonprofit organization. Here at the American Diabetes Association in Albany we are a staff of four. During our Tour de Cure in June our staff turns into an army of over 300 people! We are blessed with many volunteers who help us with our event every year. We also have volunteers who come into our office every week throughout the entire year. One of these volunteers has been coming to the office for over 25 years.  What an incredible commitment!

Do you have a special skill? There are many opportunities that you may not have thought about.  Do you have skills like photography, social media, graphic design, volunteer recruitment, logistics or party planning? All nonprofits can use help in these areas.  For example, during our Tour de Cure in June we need many photographers to take pictures of our 2,000 cyclists at the start line and out on the road.  Are you a seasoned cyclist who wants to help with planning routes and rest stops? There is an opportunity for you! Not only do we have day of event volunteers but we also have a Tour planning committee that works throughout the year to make our event a success.

With unemployment reaching such high levels, one great way to improve your resume is to volunteer. It is hard during unemployment to think about anything but your job search. However, reaching out to a nonprofit can help you in many ways. Not only does it look great on your resume, but it is proven that volunteering gives a person a great sense of accomplishment and happiness –  a positive during a hard time.  Meeting and networking with new people can lead you to places you may not have ever thought of, nor had the opportunity to experience, if not for volunteering.  Add to this the benefit that the nonprofit receives from your expertise and it is a win-win for everyone!

There are many different organizations to volunteer with throughout the Capital District. For the ADA you can go to www.diabetes.org/albany to fill out the volunteer questionnaire.  There are other places to go like Volunteer Match where you search with a variety of criteria. Even Craigslist has a volunteer opportunity section.

So thank you to all our GREAT volunteers who work with us throughout the year to help the ADA reach its mission goals. You give from your heart and that is priceless!