People volunteer to make an impact. They give their time, effort and expertise in service to other people and to organizations that work to address issues like housing, hunger, education, financial literacy and environmental conservation.
The other week I was talking with a neighbor about his regular volunteering with Power Packs Project, and the one of the things he talked about was the amount of time he spent volunteering each week and the number of meal packs he helped assemble. I realized that I talk about my own volunteer impact in a similar way.
Beyond counting volunteer hours and completed tasks, there are other ways to measure and describe volunteer impact.
One way is to measure the dollar value of volunteer time. Every year the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland makes an estimate of the value of volunteer time. This year’s estimate is that a volunteer hour is worth $33.49, and it is based on the cost an organization would face to pay someone to provide services.
Calculating the dollar value of volunteer hours can give a sense of the contribution volunteers are making, but the impact volunteers make often goes beyond hours and dollars.
Volunteers enhance the quality of service provided by an organization, refer new participants to programs, educate and advocate on behalf of the organization, help recruit other volunteers and invite new donors and supporters.
Volunteers also help build new connections, share greater understanding of the causes they support, and help build deeper trust and goodwill in the community. When we step back to consider some of these broader kinds of impact, we can better recognize and value the impact that volunteers make every day.
Volunteer with Pennsylvania Furniture Mission
The Pennsylvania Furniture Mission, whose main office is in Columbia, is dedicated to creating warm and welcoming homes for all Pennsylvania residents by providing free, gently used furniture to families and individuals in need. Many families and individuals live paycheck to paycheck, and after paying for housing they may not be able to furnish their homes. The PA Furniture Mission receives and redirects donated furniture, helping support people with limited resources while keeping usable furniture out of the landfill. Here are some ways to get involved.
— Greeter and customer service assistants help answer calls and greet visitors, serving as a welcoming voice and presence for people seeking assistance, furniture donors and organizations that contact the Pennsylvania Furniture Mission. This is a role that requires flexibility and is a great volunteer opportunity if you like talking with people both on the phone and in person.
— Client services assistants help guide families and individuals through the furniture selection process and assist with scheduling furniture deliveries. If you enjoy connecting with and serving diverse audiences, this is the opportunity for you.
— The Grant Researcher/Writer Assistant assists with writing and content development for grant applications and related projects. This is a role for volunteers who like to think outside the box, have previous writing experience and want to use and develop skills in service to others.
To find out more and to volunteer please visit:
Find more volunteer opportunities
Visit the United Way of Lancaster County’s Get Connected volunteer site at . At the site, you’ll find a variety of volunteer opportunities from around the county, and you’ll be able to sign up to receive updates when new opportunities are posted.
Joel Janisewski is director of the volunteer center and community listening for United Way of Lancaster County.