[nabs-l] volunteering

Rebecca Sabo beckyasabo at gmail.com
Fri Nov 29 20:09:57 UTC 2013


Hi 
How do you get involved to fine volunteer positions ?  I have my AA degree in Human Services.  I am working toward my BA in human services.  I am  looking for work or volunteer in the field of human service.  I need more work experience on my resume.
Becky 
On Nov 28, 2013, at 1:33 PM, Arielle Silverman <arielle71 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi illie,
> 
> I volunteered for a teen crisis hotline when I was in high school. It
> would be a great way to learn what it is like to counsel people
> dealing with serious life challenges and to see if this is something
> you enjoy and feel comfortable with. You could also volunteer for a
> Hospice or other facility that involves nursing care. Some of these
> kinds of programs may have job shadow or summer intern opportunities
> for teens. Good luck!
> Arielle
> 
> On 11/27/13, Lillie Pennington <lilliepennington at fuse.net> wrote:
>> Thanks for all of the suggestions. I will begin looking into some nonprofits
>> around here and talking to some people as to what I could do. Again, thanks
>> for all the help.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Nov 27, 2013, at 10:41 PM, "Ashley Bramlett"
>>> <bookwormahb at earthlink.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Lillie,
>>> I suggest you job shadow some people in these fields. Also conduct
>>> informational interviews which basically means you interview someone in
>>> the field about their job; ask how they got there, what skills they use,
>>> what typical duties are like, and what they like and dislike about the
>>> job.
>>> 
>>> Its smart of you to research careers because so many people just take jobs
>>> they don't like or they go to higher education and study a lot. After
>>> studying and obtaining a degree, they get jobs and find out they hate the
>>> field.
>>> 
>>> Preparing early will help you get a good career and a happy one too.
>>> To volunteer, look at nonprofits.
>>> I assume you want to work with people because psychologists, social
>>> workers, and nurses all work with people and help them.
>>> For the social work and psychology fields, you could assist in a
>>> nonprofit. You could help clients.
>>> Some nonprofits need people to perform intake screenings which means you
>>> ask questions to assess elligibility.
>>> You could do that. I do not know the rules about helping psychologists;
>>> they may not let you help directly due to the license needed and
>>> confidentiality.
>>> But, what I'm thinking is psychologists lead support groups all the time.
>>> Maybe you could help facilitate them.
>>> I know agencies often take office volunteers, but I think what you're
>>> seeking is more hands on with clients.
>>> 
>>> If talking to people in crisis interests you, there are nonprofits who
>>> need hotline volunteers. Although, I'm not sure you can do it in summer as
>>> the training is so long and they often require at least a 6 month
>>> commitment.
>>> You could also work at a homeless shelter assisting their case managers.
>>> You could do presentations at the homeless shelter to their clients on a
>>> life topic like nutrition as long as you know it and research it well.
>>> If working with the prison population is of interest, you can lead classes
>>> in a jail or prison if they run a volunteer program.
>>> For the nursing, I don't know. That is such a specialized field requiring
>>> training to do that intricate work of using the equipment.
>>> I cannot think of a way to help a nurse since you lack the training for
>>> health care workers.
>>> I know nursing homes take volunteers, so maybe you could assist in a
>>> health related capacity there.
>>> 
>>> When I tried to volunteer in   the summer, I found that they wanted a
>>> longer commitment than I could give. Also I ran into computer issues
>>> because not all nonprofits let me install jaws.
>>> I hope you find one that works for you. Keep in mind you need to often
>>> apply, be interviewed, and go through a background check. This takes time.
>>> My suggestion would be start early! Fill out applications during spring
>>> break and try to get an interview or two in spring break when you're home.
>>> Some applications are online, others are a downloadable form which you
>>> need sighted assistance to fill out.
>>> It can take a few weeks for a background check. So, do start early,
>>> otherwise the summer will be half over before you are cleared to
>>> volunteer.
>>> 
>>> Good luck.
>>> Ashley
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message----- From: Lillie Pennington
>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2013 9:57 PM
>>> To: 'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'
>>> Subject: [nabs-l] volunteering
>>> 
>>> Hello all
>>> 
>>> Seeing the recent job question sparked a question that had been residing
>>> in
>>> the back of my mind for a while, and I'm hoping you all may have some
>>> suggestions.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I am wondering if any of you would know of or have ideas of a
>>> volunteering
>>> or job that would preferably help me in my chosen field for the future. I
>>> am
>>> pondering the fields of social work, psychology, and nursing. This would
>>> probably be during the summer seeing as I have a heavy courseload during
>>> the
>>> school year. I will be sixteen in March, and I would like some experience
>>> in
>>> these fields so I could maybe get a more specific idea of what these
>>> fields
>>> entail, or if I'd even be interested in them. Any ideas would be
>>> appreciated.
>>> 
>>> Thanks
>>> 
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>> 
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