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Volunteer Self
Assessment
Each
agency or organization has a unique set of skills and time commitments required
of their volunteers. Following is a list of questions to help you decide if the
American Red Cross is an appropriate place for you. This self-assessment is for
your planning purposes and decision making alone. Be completely honest. Discuss
your decision with the important people in your life. Remember that volunteering
is a commitment. It is important to find the right place to make that
commitment.
Often people
with good intentions are just too busy to volunteer. Too often individuals
will have great intentions but are unable to follow through with their
commitments. Make sure the volunteer opportunity you are interested in matches
your availability – some opportunities require availability during daytime
business hours, others require you to be on-call, some you can complete on
your own schedule. Do you have room in your life for another
commitment?
The American Red
Cross is seeking volunteers who are responsible and reliable. We rely on
volunteers to meet the needs of our clients and customers as well as
to fulfill administrative gaps for the organization. We count on
volunteers to fulfill their promises and complete their job assignments.
Without reliable volunteers, disaster victims would not receive immediate
assistance and lifesaving classes would be cancelled. Is your schedule flexible
enough to accommodate this commitment?
Many Red Cross
opportunities require that you take classes before beginning volunteering.
This training often requires travel to different areas. Some jobs will require
the completion of multiple courses before you can begin volunteering.
Are you willing to take the necessary training in a
timely manner?
Volunteering for the
American Red Cross involves working with people of different ages,
socio-economic, cultural, racial, ethnic, religious and educational
backgrounds. One of the fundamental principles of the American Red Cross/Red
Crescent Society is neutrality. Are you comfortable with
people who are different from yourself?
Typically, the
individuals who have been and continue to be successful American Red Cross
volunteers possess certain skills or characteristics. Do you consider yourself good at...
- Time management
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Taking Initiative
- Following up
- Working in
stressful situations?
If you answered yes to these
five questions, we encourage you to take the next steps to
becoming involved.
If you decide that
the American Red Cross is not the best "fit" for you, we suggest you visit the
Volunteer
Match website to find out about other volunteer opportunities in our
community. |
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