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!
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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!
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