During winter
time you sense that many people are extremely aware of poverty, children and
youth suffering of hunger and cold as well as different charities and the work
we do. People reach out in numbers to
support the various causes with donations and labor – all in the good name of
Mandela Day and the 67 minutes of your time campaign. And as a charity we are excited to welcome
the kind and caring citizens into our circle as we appreciate the money and the
time they donate to us, to help us improve our service or our facility. The
goodwill of people outnumbers those who turn a blind eye.
Unfortunately,
once the excitement is over many of these kind donors and volunteers return to
their normal business, only to forget that the service of welfare is rendered
all year round and that the needs of the charity remains the same. We do however get people that ask how they
can get involved on a more permanent basis.
Volunteerism
is a service by a person or a group, that benefits others. At Child Welfare
Tshwane, where we work with the most vulnerable members of society, namely the
children, we rely on the support and active involvement of volunteers on
various levels. We have tutors helping
with homework, we have legal and financial people assisting us with guidance
and processes and we have (mostly ladies) helping us with fundraising. People that give of themselves (time and
money) to help us meet the needs and alleviate the poverty and hardship in the
community.
Should
this be something you are considering, remember to select a charity that is
close to your heart., and portray your passion. If you care deeply for the cause, working as
a volunteer will be so much easier for you to do and be rewarding. You will
also recognise and identify opportunities for your cause if it is something
dear to you. You also need to decide if you want to do a good deed, once off, or
if you would prefer to be part of a process at the cause and then sign up for a
longer-term commitment and see the change that your efforts bring about.
At Child Welfare Tshwane, we prefer that
tutors, for instance, commit for at least one year as children need time to
bond with the tutor and we do not want to introduce a new tutor every few
months as this disrupts the continuity in the child’s academic support process.
It
is important that you be clear on the impact you want to have with your volunteer
or charity work. It may be that you want
to bring immediate relief against the cold and therefore decide to distribute
blankets, beanies or jerseys in the community.
Or maybe you want to have a lingering impact and therefore decide to
donate a fixed amount per month, to be used for food for children who often
receive only one hot meal a day.
“Where
do I start?”, you may ask. You can contact Child Welfare Tshwane, so we can get
your personal details, a copy of your ID and SAPS clearance (if you wish to
work with the children). Then we do a
short orientation session with you and see where best we can use your skills
and energy in our Organisation.
“What
do I have to offer?”, you may ask. Well,
sharing your knowledge, skills and time with others is important. You may teach a child to read or use your professional skill and e.g. help us with marketing. You
may be able to fix and maintain the property or help to transport children to
sport or medical appointments. But we all have certain unique skills that can add value to the cause we support.
Our
children need to have positive examples of people who are making a valuable
contribution in their communities. They need positive role models – people who
can inspire them to greatness!
Volunteerism
will also give you a new perspective on life. Maybe you think all people who are dependent on welfare support are
strugglers with no dreams and hopes. Yet, when you meet some of these people you may find that despite the
blows life has given them, they are still proud people. People who want to be in a different position
but who simply do not have the means to change their unfortunate circumstances.
You
will learn what humility means and how a simple gesture can be
significant! A beanie, a jersey, a hot
cup of soup in the winter or maybe some products to help restore the dignity of
a woman may change a perception, may lift someone’s spirit and may save a
life! To use a changed version of the
famous words of Neil Armstrong: “One small gesture of love by man, one giant
contribution to uplifting the community”.
No support, no effort is too small.
The
rewards of volunteerism last longer than a cash reward. The warm feeling you get when you see the
smile of a child, accepting a new jersey or blanket is priceless. The happiness you see when you help a child
read their first words cannot easily be matched.
We
have volunteers that have been helping some of the children in Bramley Child
& Youth Care Centre with homework and the results we have seen are amazing. We realise that the hour a week they spend
with these children have helped the children to grow in confidence and to
master certain skills. We have seen the
difference having a weekend family (also volunteers) to visit bring in the
lives of children – they get to experience family life as it should be.
Our
fundraising events, like golf days and gala dinners, are very successful,
because volunteers run with these projects.
The commitment and dedication of a group of mostly ladies have been
astonishing and we are so grateful that these ladies have taken on the task of
raising funds for our Organisation.
Our
Board of Management, Financial and Risk Committee and Bramley Specialised
Committee also consists of volunteers – people who decided to devote their time
and skills to helping with the management of the Organisation. So, there is
really a place for every person who wants to do some volunteer work.
We
want to ask every person out there to consider getting involved in some or
other volunteer project. Do good to others.
Offer your time and skills not only your money. You will be surprised at the difference it
will bring to your life!
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