Tag Archives: veterans

Honoring volunteers engaged in economic & social development

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graphic by Jayne Cravens representing volunteersThere are volunteers all over the world, right now, who are working to help impoverished people start small businesses and generate the income they desperately need to care for themselves and their families. They are training people in sustainable farming methods and ecological land management. They are helping build the computer literacy of a variety of people. They are training women in public speaking and in how to lead. They are training rural people in how to set up and operate groups that will identify their own most pressing community needs and communicate those needs to government and potential donors. They are helping refugees and immigrants learn local languages and participate in local civic life. They are helping to educate communities about HIV/AIDS and to not be afraid of those among them who are HIV positive. They are working to stop female genital mutilation. They are using theater as a tool to educate about something, to build awareness, even to change behavior.

Some of these volunteers live in their own homes and engage in these activities in the same communities they are from, or in nearby communities. Some travel thousands of miles away and live in a compound or a guest house or with a local family. Some face hostilities, dangerous situations, even violence, as they try to this service. Some are killed in the line of duty. Many endure sexual harassment and assault. Many suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but will not seek help because they know that, if they do, they could be jeopardizing their chances of continuing volunteer service, or they do not have access to PTSD treatment.

These volunteers don’t get statues or parades or school assemblies that honor their service. Songs aren’t written and sung in their honor. People don’t post to social media to thank them for their service. And I don’t know of any such volunteers asking for such, though they would most certainly like local and national press to pay more attention to the communities they are trying to help and causes they are trying to address.

These are volunteers who are engaged in economic and social development, and December 5th is the day to honor them: International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development, as declared by the United Nations General Assembly per its resolution 40/212 in 1985.

This is not a day to honor only international volunteers; the international in the title describes the day, not the volunteer. It’s a day to honor, specifically, those volunteers who contribute to economic and social development. Such volunteers deserve their own day. This includes local volunteers, not just international volunteers.

I say this every year in conversations and on social media and repeatedly on my blog: I think it’s a shame to try to turn December 5 into just another day to celebrate any volunteer, another day to give volunteers a meme with a happy kitten that says “thanks!” There are PLENTY of days and weeks to honor all volunteers and encourage more volunteering and to hug a volunteer.

Let’s keep December 5 specifically for volunteers who contribute to economic and social development, per its original intention; let’s give these unique volunteers their due, as per the original purpose of this day’s designation. Let’s honor their sacrifices, the stress they deal with, the service they give and the work they are trying to do.

Thank you to the many volunteers who help with the range of economic and social development needs in the world! Today is all about YOU and the incredible service you undertake.

Here are all the times I’ve tried to remind people of what IVD used to be about and should be again:

Also see:

Which nonprofits serving military veterans are worthwhile?

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logoI get asked this question now and again, and I see this question posted in various places:

I want to donate money to help USA military veterans and their families. Which nonprofits are really worthwhile?

Sadly, I have trouble answering the question, because there are just too many news articles about very shady happenings by organizations claiming to help military veterans, such as this story from CNN’s Anderson Cooper, another one from Cooper, this one from the Daily Beast, this one from Veterans Today, and this from the Tampa Bay Times. I also find the TV commercials of several of these organizations emotionally-manipulative, as though donating to their organization proves your patriotism.

I’m not going to name any of the organizations in question, but it’s worth it to click on those previously-mentioned links and see the organization names yourself – some will be very recognizable.

Here are some questions you can use as you look at a web site to help you evaluate an organization that claims to help military veterans and their families:

  • Does this organization have a prominent link right on the home page for veterans or families of such in need of services – a link as prominent as its links for financial donors? If not, then it’s a red flag: how can an organization say it serves veterans or families of such but not have an obvious way for people to seek services? If it does have a link, click on it. Does the organization have just one page that talks about vague benefits – events, discounts, camaraderie, etc. – rather than concrete service information like mental health services / counseling, rehabilitation resources, accommodation adjustments in housing, debt management, help with government paperwork, job re-training, etc.? In short: pretend you are a veteran or family member in need and look at the web site from that perspective, then ask yourself this question: are you able to find information about services you urgently need?
  • Does the organization list its services as, primarily, directing veterans and their families to other agencies to help with health services, rehabilitation, job placement, etc. – or does the organization actually provide those services directly? If the former, your donation might be better going directly to those organizations that actually provide the services, since the organization is just referring people other organizations.
  • Does the organization say, right on the home page, that it involves volunteers? If no, that’s a red flag – why would a nonprofit not involve volunteers? Are they hiding something? If they do have such a link to volunteering information, do volunteers help in direct service, or do volunteers help just with fundraising? If the former, that’s a good sign that this is a legitimate organization, as they have a commitment to members of the public seeing their work firsthand – they value that kind of investment in their work. If the latter, then that’s a red flag: this organization sees volunteers only as fundraisers, as money-makers. There’s nothing wrong with volunteers being fundraisers, but if that’s the ONLY way the organization involves volunteers, it may mean the organization is concerned only with raising large amounts of money.
  • Does the organization provide an accounting of how it spends money, beyond saying, “80% of money raised goes to services”? For instance, what percentage of the organization’s staff is working in direct support to veterans and their families, versus staff working to raise funds, manage volunteers that raise funds, marketing staff, etc.?

Those are my suggestions of questions to ask before you donate financially to an organization that claims to help veterans and their families.

So, can I recommend any organization myself as one I would donate to (and maybe I have donated to)? Yes. I recommend the USO.