Society & Culture Volunteer Work (serious thread)

[Power King]

Just wondering if any of you guys do volunteer work, and if so, what kind of work do you do? Also curious about how much you enjoy it?

I'm considering doing some next year, but I'll only be able to sacrifice maybe a morning a week. Still, to contribute is better than to not, so I'm interested in what types of volunteer work you guys do, and what might be suited to the limited amount of time I might be able to offer.

Any suggestions of giving a girl her first orgasm can go on TLC.

Over to you

 

[Ben the Gooner]

I did a reasonable amount while at school. Ranged from helping tutor refugee children in English and maths to helping out at the RecLink Grand Final to spending a week at Open Family.

All very rewarding, and some of it really eye opening stuff. Seeing people shooting up in broad daylight, and hearing the stories of people on methadone programs, and how they're cleaning themselves up are really confronting.

 

[deeman12]

I'm a volunteer tutor once a week at a secondary school. I'd be lying if I said that I did it purely to help the community. It's a great thing to have on your resume no doubt.

But I like a lot of the kids and it's definitely rewarding knowing that you've helped a kid with something that they don't understand. Plus, if I can offer them some leadership in an otherwise dead-end area, then that's a good thing.

I've been applying for a number of community legal centres as well, but obviously the competition for them is stiff.

 

[Jonesy10]

I would like to get into some volunteering - I need some experience working but I don't think I have the time to start a paying job.

Any ideas for a Year 11 student, once a week or something like that?

 

[Caesar]

When I was studying I used to volunteer at my university's legal service. Before I moved I used to work as a visitor for the aged - you went and spent a couple of hours a fortnight with a designated elderly person who usually had no family. It was actually pretty good - my grandparents all died when I was very young so I enjoyed the experience.

It's tough to volunteer when you work a regular 40 hour week, because most places want people who are available at that time.

 

[HSSB]

lifestyle board?

 

[Jimmy_the_Gent]

I just started at a Red Cross Op-shop. One 4 hour shift in and it's pretty easy and cool.

One of the girls there is studying law. Is this a common thing with law students? Having to spend some time as a volunteer?

 

[deeman12]

I just started at a Red Cross Op-shop. One 4 hour shift in and it's pretty easy and cool.

One of the girls there is studying law. Is this a common thing with law students? Having to spend some time as a volunteer?

Yeah that's why I volunteer at the secondary school. Make myself look like a socially active person, etc. Am also looking to volunteer at a legal centre soon.

 

[HarryTiger]

"I volunteer because I want to earn more money in the future"

That's the spirit!

 

[BarneyBent]

My girlfriend and I do a 3 hour shift at a school for disabled kids once a fortnight (will probably look at increasing the amount of time we do after a while, when we're more used to it and have a less hectic uni schedule). I like it, but you can feel kind of useless at times, especially with the group I'm with, who aren't quite as intense as some others. The benefit is more the fact that I am there IF I'm needed, not that I'll be doing useful stuff the whole time, so I find myself twiddling my thumbs a lot, but the kids are really sweet. It's a school for very low functioning kids as well, IQ 55 and below.

My GF has a far more confronting group though, severely autistic 16-18 year old boys. On her first day, 3 of them masturbated (not at her, lol, they didn't even acknowledge her,and apparently they do it all the time), one of the masturbators stripped completely naked and one shat his pants. When I say they are severe, I mean they are SEVERE. One of them punches people in the face if they touch him. I have to say, I don't envy her, but despite all of that, she seems to find it really rewarding.

As for the last part, use your eyes, find the button, peel the curtains back, and then do the old figure 8, or snake flicker, slowly building up speed, and don't stop for anything, cos then it just about resets back to zero.

 

[ronnie1234]

Volunteered at the Yarraman nursing home.. although my class wasn't actually looking after the elderly, it was more of redecorating their gardens for two days

 

[J_Moore]

A whole bunch of stuff

Quality post. Good on you, and good on your GF. That's sounds like an epic effort. Solid closing advice also.

 

[BarneyBent]

Quality post. Good on you, and good on your GF. That's sounds like an epic effort. Solid closing advice also.

Cheers mate. It's really not that much effort though. As I said, it's just 3 hours every two weeks. My younger cousin, who has Down Syndrome, goes to the school, so I get to visit him, spend some time with him, hang with him and his friends at lunch. It's pretty cool. It also probably sounds corny, but I say it more because it's trippy than anything else, but you start to forget, or lose perspective on, how disabled they really are. Whenever I start a shift, it's quite confronting, but by the end of the day they're just "quirky". I'd definitely recommend it for anybody that's interested in it.

 

[THRILLHO]

Massive respect for the CFA.

Well done.

 

[clivewaterhousen]

taught english for a couple of days in cambodia.

was awesome