Volunteering

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Do you guys volunteer? or ever had?

I feel obligated to do so because of my AS. Since I have to "prove myself" that I can help others, also because I have a disabillity I should help others and also, when you give, you get back. I think volunteering has alot of advantage. For those who can't get a job it's not only good for your resume and your life skills, but you might also be able to get a job where you volunteer at.

During my life I've been volunteering at places that are stereotypical for aspies: Helping old persons with computers (teaching them Email, facebook, stuff), I've been also volunteering at teaching kids science related stuff (Although I am not good in science/physics at all it was mainly those easy startes experiements teaching those kids bout laws of physics etc), also at a retirement home and lately at the Zoo (cause aspies love animals, right).

Please tell me your input as I am really curious as to what people here have done or maybe they have opinions about why and what and even if people should volunteer.

Walked dogs at an animal shelter. Fed and otherwise attended to injured wild birds at bird rescue center. Volunteered as babysitter (for young humans) at two different places.

Really that kind of thing is too much for me on any kind of basis. Mostly due to the rules other people built around the activities for the animal stuff and just because interacting with humans of any age greater than 1 or 2 is taxing for me cause they start judging you then. Sounds paranoid I know.

Volunteering - well I think that money is basically social credit and really there's no reason merit-wise why some jobs are paid and others not, it's just a matter of how the system has worked itself out supply and demand-wise. My point is that volunteering is as good as any other job.

It's really cool to hear what you did. Seems you also like animals. And adressing the last part I agree very much. I actually couldn't have said it better. Voluntary job is a job, it's not a paying job but it's still.... work. How do you think one can use his earned social credit?

That's wonderful of you! I firmly believe that the solution to much of the existential angst expressed by so many on this site is simply to give of yourself, in whatever way works for you.

We do what we can. I have my causes and I do the best I can with them, which is all anyone can do.

Thank you for a lovely post

I've done some since I was a kid. Started out mostly because my dad was/is on a volunteer FD. As a kid, I'd help with their summerfest in the kids games (when they still ran them). When I was in junior high/high school, I started helping out with their feather party. After I got my ticket, I started volunteering for ARES regularly. (note that these things just keep adding togeather, not replacing each other). Now, I am treasurer for Fire Corps and Glass Act Labs (a hackerspace that is just getting started in the Toledo area), and a board member and tech committee member for the Toledo Mobile Radio Association. Volunteering keeps me very busy.

Yes. I can't just sit at home and do nothing, so I volunteer. If you have nothing useful to do with your time, you end up just turning into this self-pitying lump, and trust me, you don't wanna do that. Everybody's got to have a place where he can do something worthwhile, whether that's clearing the table after dinner or doing brain surgery, or something in between.

I strongly recommend that ASD individuals (especially ASD teenagers) to do casual volunteering if they have any spare time (3-6 hours / week), as it usually exposes them to social situations in a more progressive, structured manner so they don't get as overwhelmed as much. The rules of work are spelt out clearly, the volunteer colleagues are generally polite and there is less incentive for any of the volunteers to perform bullying or backstabbing just to go up the "corporate ladder", because if they wanted to go up the ladder, they wouldn't be spending their time doing unpaid charity job in the first place; they'd probably be in some sort of office environment instead (I hope that made sense). The volunteering also provides work experience and can be included in a CV for future job (entry level) applications.

I volunteered at a Charity Store and I must say that I benefited from it in that I learned how to use a vacuum cleaner, how to steam-clean clothes, how to use a cash register, and how to deal with customers in a scripted polite manner. It also contributes to a more positive self esteem as you know that you're being valued by other people who need you in a real life situation.

I've been a volunteer in a local music club for a few years now. I don't really look at it as giving or serving, though I guess it could be construed as that. It gets me out of the house, keeps me rubbing shoulders with people in a relatively safe, familiar environment. I don't really do a lot - just stand up and make a few announcements, play a few songs myself, generally try to muck in and make sure the shows turn out well, distribute a few posters, record some of the shows, make CDs out of them, and share in the thinking and planning. It's much easier for me to "socialise" if there's something practical to do (pure socialising scares me), even though I'm not particularly good at sharing tasks.....I'm usually more comfy with taking over a particular job than I am with sharing the decision-making of a job with others, but if the task is relatively simple, I can often share that.

As a group we don't do anything particularly charitable, apart from providing free public entertainment and giving unknown entertainers a chance to give their art an airing. But I guess that's something of value.

Being paid for it would spoil everything. The expectations would be a lot more serious, and I'd feel less free to walk away if my livelihood depended on it.

I think it's sad that our glorious prime minister is trying to use volunteering to prop up his financial attack on the working class. I think it's a problem for politically-minded people, knowing that every time we try to help people out, we take pressure off the government to provide decent services. Possibly the only way round that is keep volunteering but to compensate for the ill effects by also being more politically active. Registered charities cannot legally engage in politics, but the individual members can.

I've volunteered at something since I was young. Dunno why, just something I've always done. I started as a cub scout leader when I was 14, then I was treasurer at my daughter's nursery, been a classroom assistant at my local primary school, a brownie leader and for many years a lay member of education appeals panels.

Volunteering is big where I live (one of the smaller towns). I volunteer with mostly younger kids, because I've been told I do well with them. Considering one of the compliments came from my most likely mentally unstable step mom kind of concerns me, but my mom and step dad said the same thing, as well as a variety of neighbors and a few teachers.

I volunteer at a local woodland conservation group. I sometimes struggle to get on with the other volunteers, but I agree that they are a lot easier to deal with than the majority of paid co-workers I have experienced. Volunteering definitely improves my mood.

I volunteered teaching English and reading/writing skills to foreign students for awhile. I also volunteered with my daughter's Girl Scout troop. I miss being useful, but my health doesn't permit me to do much. I have to practice energy conservation.

I volunteered teaching English and reading/writing skills to foreign students for awhile. I also volunteered with my daughter's Girl Scout troop. I miss being useful, but my health doesn't permit me to do much. I have to practice energy conservation.

I volunteer at an animal shelter twice a week in their small animal department. I work with the rabbits, Guinea pigs, hamsters, rats, mice, degus, gerbils, spiny mice and ferrets. I mainly feed them and clean them out, but when we have some spare time we get to 'socialise' the animals. That involves sitting with the rabbits and guinea pigs and handling the small animals. I love working there because it gives me a purpose in life.

I want your job...

I want to volunteer but several places I've looked into volunteering at seem to make it so difficult. Like you need CPR training or have to commit to certain hours.

I'll keep trying to find something but I wish it was easier. I don't have a car or a lot of money to pay for transit and such, so I am mostly limited to my area, which is downtown.

Anyway, thanks for your post as I will renew looking again.

Volunteering definitely helps your self esteem and gives you a sense of purpose or a reason to love yourself. Doing good for others is really the best thing. (Most paid jobs are kinda useless, working for a company that's main motive is money etc.)