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Volunteers, page 2
by shelly whittet

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.”

When Hunyady talks about her career and passion for animals, the excitement is clear in her voice. This same joy is present when she talks about her work with Big Brothers Big Sisters. “It filled a hole in my life, and I know it filled a hole in Brea’s life, and that makes me really happy,” Hunyady says. “It’s really rewarding.”

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curb magazine 2005: balance for wisconsin's young professionals