curb online

Reaching out while moving up
Volunteering helps young professionals sharpen and share their skills

by shelly whittet

Kristen Hunyady, a 28-year-old veterinary technician, spends long days working with animals. When Saturday arrives, she gets to spend the day playing with her dog and her friend Brea at the dog park. Later, the two head out for lunch, giggling and making fun of each other. In the afternoon, they might work on pottery together, or just sit around and talk. It is an amazing friendship that enriches both their lives, but it’s not just any regular friendship. Hunyady is 12-year-old Brea’s “Big,” an affectionate term for mentors in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

Young professionals throughout Wisconsin are finding volunteerism helps them connect with their communities, benefiting them both personally and professionally as they help others. Nonprofit organizations throughout the state are working to make connections that help young professionals live more successful lives and improve their communities. 

Volunteer centers such as the United Way of Dane County and the Volunteer Center of Brown County have witnessed an increase in young professionals’ interest to volunteer and have noticed businesses encouraging employee volunteering.

Agencies throughout the state are working to find opportunities that help young professionals network and become more engaged in their communities. Busy working people from the ages of 25 to 40, growing more established in their careers and looking to get involved, have become a key group for recruitment. “They are motivated by different things. They’ve always given, their workplace encourages it, they think they may need help at some point, or they have received help,” says Kristi Shepard, United Way of Dane County’s director of leadership giving.

They have also found that young professionals without families of their own often have more time to contribute, with a wide range of specific skills that benefit organizations. “They fill various essential functions and are a wonderful resource that brings important skills to nonprofits,” says Christine Danielson, Volunteer Center of Brown County executive director. “We consider our volunteers as non-paid staff. We have a committed young woman who works as an accountant that comes in on a regular basis to pay the bills and do payroll. That’s something we don’t have the money to pay someone to do.”

For volunteers, volunteer agencies and those they serve, one of the largest benefits of volunteering is the opportunity to help build and become a part of a community. “Young professionals really want to get involved in the community but don’t quite know how to make that connection,” Danielson says. The Rosenberry Society is an organization of young professional volunteers and donors founded by the United Way of Dane County. Activities include kickball games, luncheons with local CEOs and volunteer days with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

“We’re bringing people together. They get to network with others, get to feel good about their community and feel good about the contributions they’re making,” Shepard says. Similar “next generation societies” can be found throughout the state.

Often new to an area and looking to create a balanced life, young professionals find volunteering helps them build networks and feel good about the links they are making.

Amanda Wilkins has gone beyond her job responsibilities as a training coordinator for Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center, working to coordinate community events in Madison for World AIDS Week and build awareness for Camp Heartland, a nonprofit organization for children affected by HIV and AIDS. “I’ve gained pride in knowing I’m making a difference, connecting with and educating my peers, the UW campus community and the wider Madison community,” Wilkins says.

Organizations throughout the state are working to help young professionals find opportunities that allow them to contribute in ways that fit their lives and to find a niche that best suits their needs and skills. Because volunteers can contribute in a variety of ways, young professionals can do work that relates to their careers and provides resume-building experience.

“Skill-building takes place in the volunteer setting,” Danielson says. “Volunteers get hands-on experience in the field they work in or would like to work in in the future. It adds direct experience to a resume or to a portfolio. It’s a win-win situation.”

Volunteer experience can eventually lead to job opportunities. “Professionally, volunteering gave me my job,” Wilkins says. “With my major alone, I wouldn’t have been able to secure a job with the ranking of professionalism I am in now.” 

As young people juggle work, family, finances and a social life, making time for volunteering can be difficult, but many young professionals find it helps them lead a more balanced life. Volunteer center leaders stress that there are opportunities for all levels of time commitment and involvement.

“The time commitment is up to the volunteer,” Danielson says. “Even a busy working person can serve on a committee of a nonprofit that may only meet six times a year. There are some short-term episodic volunteer opportunities that can really meet that volunteer’s need and the agency’s needs. No job is too big or small.”

Young professionals have varying amounts of time and energy to serve, but incorporating volunteerism can become an easy and beneficial habit. “I try to set aside some time once during a week or every other week to make it to meetings and events. It’s a break from real life,” says Wilkins, who has been volunteering for AIDS service organizations for six years.

Volunteers have found that getting to see the positive outcomes of their contributions makes them feel good about themselves by witnessing the changes they can make in their communities. “Giving is really a learned behavior, and when people start with that, they’ll probably keep doing that,” Shepard says.

Nonprofit agencies have seen an increase in the desire of young people to give and are harnessing a generation committed to making positive contributions in Wisconsin. “People are so excited about this,” Shepard says. “They realize that it’s important. I’ve been really inspired by the volunteers, to see what their dollars and their volunteer time can do.”

©curb magazine - winter 2005
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