Sunday, September 09, 2007

A good question some of the staff of Habitat for Humanity of Toronto should answer

A fellow Habitat volunteer asked a question yesterday, it was rhetorical; just repeating a question someone else had put to her, or she had put to herself, as if to challenge her reasons for being at Habitat: why was she (still) there? She doesn’t get paid, she doesn’t even get appreciated as much as she would like … I understand that. Most volunteers come up against that feeling at least once when they are volunteering; staff of many NGOs tend to take their volunteers for granted, and even I have found that Habitat for Humanity Toronto is no exception. They are paid, and do not seem to realize that we are not. Habitat owes me personally at least $8000 by now for all the work I have done for them.

Since March, I have whole-heartedly upheld their promise to make sure the volunteers (as if I am not one … haha, fork over the cash then!) have a good time! I will continue to do it until the staff prove to me that they don’t appreciate me, but until then … why do I continue to work there?

Hmmmm, I work at Habitat because I feel alive there. I am thrilled to be a part of a project so much bigger than I am, and so much bigger than I ever dreamed I could be. I am there because I have earned the respect at least, if not a bit of a warm spot in the hearts / hearths? of the permanent people / fixtures onsite. I feel like I belong there. I have taken ownership of my work there. I have made some good friends there. I continue to meet interesting, quality people there; people who enrich my life. It is a chance for me to be good at doing something. It is there that I reaffirm my leadership skills; I am a good leader, and my crews reward me every week by reaffirming that fact, no matter what type of people I get. I have led them all. But they at least all share the fact that they want to learn, they want to volunteer, and want to be a part of something bigger than they are. They want to put up vapor barrier, or SIPs, or do drywall mudding, or even just do clean-up. They understand that no job is too menial or tedious when, by doing that job, you are helping to build a new life for someone who currently doesn’t have much in the way of this high standard of living that Canada is known for. In return, I understand that no job is below me, and that I can participate and lead crews to do any job assigned to me, and that we can all have fun doing it.

I have fulfilled my promise to Habitat. Will Habitat fulfill its promise to their people in orange? Will they recognize everything we do for them? We do not ask for money, I definitely do NOT want any books, or anything with the Habitat logo on it (except for my shirt, which I already own). All I ask for is training, investment of their time and organization, an opportunity to be listened to by the staff, and for the people who DO get paid to realize that I am as valuable to Habitat as they are, and to take my advice.

Please Habitat, this is my letter to you. Take seriously the input from the people in orange. Take your own dang notes on the advice they suggest you follow, and prove that you appreciate us by following our advice. THAT would be orange appreciation. Prove that you are committed to us. Meet us half-way. Or else we will leave.
If you want to know what our suggestions are, ask us. You have people volunteering for you who are more quality than you will ever know. You have something magic in your court – don’t lose it because you fail to appreciate it.

“The best prize life can offer, is the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing.”
~ Teddy Roosevelt

1 comment:

aka.alias said...

"The best prize life can offer, is the opportunity to work hard at work worth doing."
What a great quote! It says a lot, a whole lot in answer to the question you're asking about why people volunteer on a long-term basis. I am sure it's because they are people capable of understanding the truth in that quote, and the meaning it can bring to their lives. Thank you for giving me something to think about.