Volunteering and Community Collaborations

I've decided that the best way to figure out what the Madison Non-Profit world looks like is to go through the volunteer application process with several.  Hopefully after interviewing with them I will find some well-suited opportunities for me to volunteer.  I do hope to become a mentor to a teen, I would like to help some organizations organize their volunteer programs, and maybe even try my hand at sitting on a board.  But clearly I can't do it all!  So the ultimate goal is to find out more about the culture of volunteerism here in Madison.  Eventually also to find out the extent that the local churches get involved with their community and how cohesive the faith and community organizations are. 

I've been coordinating, recruiting, and managing volunteers for the past decade and so if there is any title that I can confidently hold it is: Volunteer Coordinator. But, it is not enough for me to just be a Volunteer Coordinator I also seek to be a Community Collaborator.  I have enjoyed creating opportunities where organizations can come together on mutual projects bringing volunteers, employees and "clients" together in collaborative efforts.  I've found the process builds communities, develops relationships, enhances services, and empowers individuals.

Creating programs or projects just for the sake of it is not sufficient.  But there is inevitably needs and resources that are not efficiently combined.  One organization has a resource, such as building space, and another has a need, for the building space.  It is not a matter of creating something to bring people together, it is a matter of sharing resources and merging ideas and projects.  However, this is not easy.  Organizations, such as churches and non-profit service agencies, have different cultures.  So collaborations are intensely cross-cultural experiences.  Ironing out expectations, clearing up miss communications, altering well set attitudes, are all huge obstacles in successful collaboration.  Overcoming such obstacles is well worth it!  Failing at the attempt could be detrimental to the health and progress of the community.  When one is wounded the whole body is wounded!

So for this reason it is well worth my effort to explore the culture for a season, to talk to some of the community activists and developers, to learn some history, to spend time with the organizations by volunteering with them and find out where there have been gaps, where there are failures, where there are strengths and assets. So that I can be better equipped to be what my ultimate calling in life (where ever I may find myself to be): The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.(Isaiah  58:12)