The Salvation Army states, ‘We are dedicated to doing the most good’ when researching the organizational mission statement.
This simple concept caught my eye as I looked for opportunities to volunteer and make a difference in the local community. There are multiple local organizations geared to help others, but the Salvation Army was a great starting point to dip my toes back into the volunteer world.
I reached out to their Volunteer Coordinator to check on the process and see what opportunities they had available. She was quick to reply and let me know they always need help in the Retail Store, but the most pressing need was organizing the donated items for the Library.
I decided to tackle the Library project since it was identified as a pressing need. Turns out they had hundreds of donated items (bibles, hymnals, books, games) but no real organizational structure for the room. My task was to bring some order to the Library and get items off the floor and on shelves—easy enough!
Took me a little over two hours to create an organizational structure for the donated items and get everything on the shelves. This project was not rocket science, but it was something the staff needed done to enhance their operations and introduce visitors to the Library.
I shared a little about my academic and professional background with the Volunteer Coordinator and quickly discovered I could help them in additional ways. Her major volunteer need for the holiday season will be Red Kettle bell ringers around the city. Statistics show volunteer bell ringers garner more donations than paid bell ringers. This is because the volunteers truly want to be there and are more engaging when greeting potential donors.
I’m using my local network of contacts to help the Salvation Army with their recruitment program to find bell ringers for the holiday season. I’m sure they will have a few other projects I can lend a hand with and enhance programming to meet their needs. Looking forward to a long and productive partnership with the Salvation Army.
What organizations can you help in your local area? What special ‘skills’ can you lend to enhance the organizational mission and make a difference?
Make it a great day!
Walk Into the Future 