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5 Steps to Becoming a Mom-unteer |
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Written by Tracy Butler
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 Make change without short-changing your family and even boosting your career.
With 83% of VolunteerMatch.org users being women, and so many moms in the volunteer force, the math suggests that moms with a mission can easily get plugged in. Here are some steps you can take toward becoming a volunteer:
1. Identify Your Goals for Change: Take yourself out to coffee one day with a notepad or journal and think about a) what cause(s) you care the most passionately about, and b) what your long-term career goals might be (whether it is to opt back in or transition out of a job you currently have).
2. Research Your Options: In addition to using the internet, try the mom’s search engine, otherwise known as word-of-mouth. You may be surprised by how many charitable involvements your neighbors or friends may already be a part of.
3. Make the Connection: Call and eventually visit your possible volunteer site. When “interviewing them” be sure to answer these questions: “Can I use the skills I want to in this volunteer position” and “Does the commitment allow room for my other priorities (e.g., family, work, health)?”
4. Make the Commitment: This is the most straightforward, but also the most important. Give yourself a minimum length of time to volunteer (for example, six months) and stick to it. The staff and people you are serving need you to be reliable and invested, above all else.
5. Involve Your Family: Lastly, make sure to involve your family. At the least, make sure they understand why this is important to you. At the most, get them involved too. If it is important to you, you probably want them to care about it, too.
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