 The Benefits of Volunteering as a Family
Finding time to fit volunteering into a busy schedule is
often a challenge that requires dedication and commitment.
Many Omaha families are discovering that by volunteering
together as a family they not only can accomplish more for
the community, but also benefit from spending time together
in a productive and quality way.
The power of leading by example
The Salvation Army, A Woman’s Touch Pregnancy Counseling,
Omaha Czech Cultural Club, Race for the Cure, and Meals on
Wheels are some of the organizations that Christine Sevener,
42, and husband, Paul, 42, and son, Paul Jr., 22, have
dedicated their time to as a family.
Sevener said she has to give credit to her parents for
teaching her firsthand the benefits of volunteering as a
family. "We were always involved in some type of
volunteering opportunity while I was growing up," she said.
"This led me to believe that that’s just what families do."
According to Sevener, the family’s volunteer efforts and
commitments have changed as the family changed. "Our
volunteerism seems to change every few years, possibly due
to dynamics in the family changing as my son grows older,"
she said.
As far as getting the family involved, Sevener said it
was difficult at first to recruit her husband because he
hadn’t done much volunteering before. "It became easier for
him when he saw how much our son enjoyed the experiences,"
she said. "It’s great to see my son now recruiting his
friends to help out and to see how rewarding it is for
them."
She said she hopes her son never outgrows his willingness
to help and that future generations will learn from his
example and volunteer. "We are very lucky to be able to
volunteer together as a family," she said. "It opens the
door to so many heartfelt discussions, compassion for our
fellow people, and a great feeling that lasts and lasts."
Continuing traditions
For Ane Tillotson, 47, and her family, volunteering for
the American Red Cross has become a tradition that began
nearly 30 years ago when her father, Gordon Jensen, 72, took
a CPR class. After completing the course, he became involved
in the Health and Safety and Disaster Services sectors of
the organization.
Tillotson explained that the stories he shared of
volunteering for the organization became a regular part of
the family’s dinner table conversation. "It wasn’t long
before he began to recruit family members to help set up for
CPR classes, clean CPR manikins, or respond during local
disasters," she said. "My father’s enthusiasm for the
mission of the American Red Cross was contagious and
strongly influenced my decision to follow in his footsteps."
When she was 16, Tillotson became involved with the
American Red Cross by taking a lifesaving course. She put
the skills she learned to use and got her first
disaster-relief experience in 1983 when her father and her
served as a mobile feeding team during the relief efforts of
the 1983 Grand Island tornados.
In addition to recruiting Tillotson, her father recruited
his mother, Agnes Jensen, Tillotson’s brother, Brian Jensen,
45, and her sister, Carrie Jensen, 43. Tillotson’s son,
James, 14, is a fourth-generation volunteer for the
organization. The family jokes that James has been a Red
Cross volunteer his whole life because Tillotson was an
active volunteer throughout her pregnancy. "Since birth,
James has attended some of the classes I have taught, has
helped at Health and Safety fairs and First Aid Stations,
and has gone out on some fire calls with the Disaster Action
Team," she said.
Opening eyes and strengthening family ties
In addition to strengthening our relationship,
volunteering together has made James more aware of how
volunteers impact the lives of others, Tillotson said. "He
now understands why I gladly give up so much of my free time
and how much my volunteer time benefits our community," she
said. "The ability to share my knowledge about the American
Red Cross and its disaster services on a firsthand basis has
ultimately strengthened our relationship."
Besides making him and his mom closer, James credits his
volunteering opportunity for many valuable skills. "I
learned how to do CPR at a really early age and I’ve learned
how to relate to the diversity in our community," he said.
Much like Tillotson, Sevener believes her son’s volunteer
experiences have helped make him a more compassionate
individual. Volunteer opportunities gave our son experiences
that ultimately taught him how to be a compassionate person,
she said.
Learning from each other
Tillotson said that when families volunteer together they
have a unique opportunity to learn from one another.
"Children that volunteer with their parents learn the
importance of sharing their time and talents with the
community without expecting anything in return except for
the wonderful feeling of accomplishment that volunteering
provides," she said. "Parents that volunteer with their
children get to watch their children develop into
resourceful, compassionate, responsible young people who
will continue to make contributions to their community in a
positive manner."
Parents learn a new respect for their children when they
volunteer with them, Sevener said. "It’s amazing to see how
even the smallest child can relate to a person in need," she
said. She added that it was wonderful to see that the desire
to help came very naturally for her son. "It’s an eye-opener
when you realize for the first time that your child doesn’t
need your direction to help someone."
Making it work
In order to reap the benefits of volunteering as a
family, members must make decisions together on the cause,
the type of work, and the amount of time they will commit.
Tillotson recommends parents first decide how much time
they are realistically able to spend volunteering. From
there, she encourages them to sit down with the children and
make a list of all the skills and interests they share as a
family. While it’s important to find something that the
whole family enjoys, Sevener said it’s just as important not
to restrict your opportunities because you or your children
haven’t been exposed to that particular activity or cause
before.
"It is always a good idea to contact the volunteer
coordinator and schedule a time to talk about any
opportunities that look interesting," Tillotson said. "After
trying the volunteer opportunity for a period of time, it is
a good idea to check with your children to see if that still
interests them. If not, don’t be discourages. Just try
another opportunity or organization. Our community has a
tremendous need for volunteers so everyone should be able to
find their perfect fit." |
