Identifying volunteering

Updated on: Saturday, December 10, 2011

Volunteering is ingrained in our culture. It has, however, evolved to encompass more than just volunteering through religious institutions. Today, volunteering involves active social involvement using different modes of communication, which needs to be followed up with groundwork.

In the last decade, we have seen a phenomenal change in the attitude of people towards volunteers and volunteerism. People have become more aware of what is happening around them and are using social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc, to involve more people in spreading awareness. What people must understand is that just creating communities in support of some cause will not help. It has to be complemented by groundwork, said Vimlendu Jha, executive director, Swechha, an NGO.

So, is volunteering natural or externally stimulated? says Jha. When volunteering happens naturally, organisations can play an important role in helping to realise an individuals goal to help others. When it happens externally, it happens because of a cause. It is important to make small differences, he adds.

Gaurav Gaur, an assistant professor at the Centre for Social Work, Punjab University, who has been volunteering for the past 11 years, says, To me, volunteering is to come out of ones comfort zone and experiencing something new. You look beyond yourself for ways to reach out. He feels that one must be innovative to reach out to people and firmly believes in practicing what he preaches. He painted his face and body with the AIDS symbol, shaved his head, and painted his clothes and car with messages on AIDS awareness.

Volunteering has helped me become a better person. My way of thinking has changed and I have become more confident in terms of my approach towards people and making them understand about AIDS. It takes time for people to open-up but once they do, things become easy, he adds.

Bipra Biswambhra, a student at Sri Venkateswara College who has been volunteering since she was in class X, feels the same way. When I started volunteering I was in class X, and had to prepare for my board exams. My parents wanted me to get into volunteering after I completed my boards. But when they understood my passion after seeing my work, they were convinced and let me continue. One should not procrastinate, if one wants to volunteer. Initially, when you start to work, initially people would not listen to you, may mock you or would not be interested in what you would like to talk about; that shouldnt stop you. One needs to be consistent with ones work and gradually people start to listen and respond.

Times of India

Identifying volunteering

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