Sharing Your Knowledge and Talent

“A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.”
-A Chinese proverb

Volunteerism remains a strong and vital tradition in American culture. In response to the tragedies of September 11, 2001 volunteers poured forth from throughout the country to search for survivors, feed and sustain rescue workers and comfort the grieving. During that time, to be a volunteer was to be a hero. Certainly in a country where it is said that independence and personal ambition are the foundation of success and that “time is money”, acknowledging an interconnectedness and volunteering to serve the needs of the local or global community in order to strengthen it seems to go against the grain. Yet many give their time, talents and energies to build the kind of community that they believe will foster a life in harmony with each other and with the environment. Why do people volunteer? “The best way to find yourself, is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
-Ghandi

  • To learn a new skill
  • To keep busy
  • To repay a debt
  • To have an impact
  • To be challenged
  • To make new friends
  • To explore a career
  • To build a resume
  • To make progress
  • To have fun
  • To learn about a community, a culture, a language

Why should I volunteer?

“Help your sister’s boat across the water, and yours too will reach the other side”
-Unknown

You may wonder why you should volunteer, since you are perhaps just passing through, a part of this community for only a few short years. You may feel that you cannot afford to volunteer and that your time is better spent in working for monetary compensation. Volunteering, however, is not just an exercise in charity or altruism, nor is your contribution temporary or of benefit only to the receiver. Especially for those who find themselves in the enviable position of having knowledge and talent with the energy and time to channel it in meaningful ways, volunteering can provide you the opportunity to learn and develop yourself socially, professionally and spiritually.

What can I do as a volunteer?
“You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give.”
-Winston Churchill
Sometimes we imagine that volunteers do for free what others don’t want to do, even for a wage, like stuffing envelopes, washing dishes, cleaning up messes. Yes, those positions are still available! But volunteer opportunities are limited only by the imagination, calling for a wide range of professional and personal skills. Volunteer positions include:

  • Translators
  • Therapeutic Horseback Riding Assistants
  • Technical Support for Non-profit websites
  • Teachers
  • Coordinators
  • Facilitators
  • Musicians
  • Linguists
  • Medical Professionals
  • Legal Aid Assistants
  • Drivers
  • Writers
  • Dieticians
  • Sales Clerks
  • Artists
  • Architects
  • Work that requires your Special Knowledge and Skill.

ServiceLeader.org offers advice to volunteers about how to explore careers, build resumes and get the most out of your experience .

Finding the Right Volunteer Experience “How wonderful that no one need wait a single moment to improve the world.”
-Anne Frank From ServiceLeader.org on how to find the best volunteer experiences.
There are many ways to enter into the exchange of benefits that volunteering offers. Below are places to get started on campus, around the area and out into the world.

  • International Student Services and Activities
    - Through International Resource Bureau, Conversation Exchange Partners and Conversation Circles, you can share insights and skills related to your language and cultural knowledge.
    - The International Coffee House offers an informal setting in which to showcase a personal talent for musical performance, drama, poetry composition and reading, etc., and for leading discussion of political, social, academic and artistic issues.
  • Center for Social Concerns
    The CSC is located on campus just behind the Hesburgh Library, opposite Breen-Phillips Dormitory. The Center offers seminars, classes, activities and opportunities for service. Their listings include both on and off campus locations.
  • Robinson Community Learning Center
    The mission of the Robinson Community Learning Center is to strengthen interaction between the Northeast Neighborhood of South Bend and the University of Notre Dame by building trust through partnerships that stimulate community revitalization. Through teaching and learning opportunities, the Center offers a broad range of educational, health and faith-based initiatives designed to enhance the area’s collective gifts and quality of life.
    A Letter of Welcome from Jay Caponigro, RCLC Director
  • South Bend Tribune (local newspaper)
    Each Monday the South Bend Tribune lists current volunteer needs in the community under the heading “Serving Others”. You can access the paper on line if you do not receive it regularly at home. Through the Tribune’s website, you can proceed to MyMichiana.com and under Meet the Neighbors find a listing of several non-profits in the area where you may have in interest in finding a volunteer position.

Virtual Volunteering “Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity”
-Horace Mann With more of us connected to one another by internet, even when we are separated by oceans, we have the extraordinary opportunity to serve and learn from people around the world. Consider some of the ways you can volunteer on-line.

• NetAid “Online Action on Extreme Poverty”
• Idealist.org “Action without Borders”
• VolunteerMatch “Get Out. Do Good”
• ServiceLeader “Virtual Volunteering Project”

For more inspiration, visit the United Nations site that celebrates Volunteerism .