FAQs
About the Virtual Volunteering Project
http://aztec.asu.edu/azph/
Penny Leisch , Coordinator
Prescott, Arizona
This is all-volunteer not-for-profit support organization for the historic Arizona Pioneers' Home promotes community awareness about the home and provides a variety of volunteer services to residents of the Arizona Pioneers' home.
The Arizona Pioneers' Home began offering residents of Arizona who are over 60 years of age assisted living and skilled nursing care in "territorial" days (before statehood). Arizona's disabled miners have received free care since 1929. The building that houses the Arizona Pioneers' Home is listed on the National Historic Register, and is centered in a small rural community, so many of the resources available in larger metro areas are not easily accessible.
The Association's affiliation with the Virtual Volunteering Project helped them develop online volunteer involvement to benefit staff, volunteers and home residents. They are currently exploring ways to bring online volunteers and the Home's residents together in cyberspace as well.
The Association involves online volunteers to assist its own onsite volunteers with various online research projects. The Association also uses the Internet to connect with potential volunteers in its own geographic area. Penny Leisch, who has worked with these online volunteers, offers this advice for communicating with volunteers via e-mail:
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"People interpret written words based on their experiences, culture and education. Some people are very literal, good readers and very good listeners. Other people need the same information repeated several times before they assimilate everything. These people need to be led through tasks step-by-step.
"Online volunteers may come from a variety of cultures and my everyday terms can mean something totally different to them. For instance, in Australia a 'downy' is what we call a comforter or bed cover in the US. I can usually tell when there is a cultural difference by the physical structure of the written grammar. I've learned to watch for these types of indicators.
"Some people probably remember doing an exercise in school where one person stands at a chalkboard and the class gives verbal instructions to guide them through drawing a shape. The person at the chalkboard has not seen the shape. Usually, the result is a very different from the intended shape.
"The most important instructional writing guideline is 'don't assume'. Most of us tend to forget to start at the beginning and include absolutely every step. A good experiment is to try writing yourself instructions for a task. Then, follow your instructions exactly as they are written.
"My policy is to write email in the same manner I would write a recipe or instruction manual. I try to be clear, concise and present my thoughts step by step. The language I use is simple. I avoid technical terms and email abbreviations and sniglets, unless I've worked with the person enough to know they will understand my references. "
You can read more about what its like to communicate with volunteers primarily via email, and advice from other affiliates, at: http://www.serviceleader.org/vv/culture.html.
- Index of Collaborating Organizations
Includes a profile of each affiliate organization and how they are involving volunteers virtually, the systems they use to recruit, evaluate and manage online volunteers, and visions for future virtual volunteering activities.
- Information for those who wish to
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