Just. Do. Something.

For Those With No Time, Don't Make Excuses - Make A Difference

If you were to do a quick Google search of the terms “places in need of volunteers” it would net you a long list of results—mostly webpages of companies and volunteer directories that will gladly sign you up for service. With seemingly a limitless amount of opportunities out there, you’d think changing the world would be a cinch…right?

Think about it: there are literally thousands of options of places and projects to lend a hand—surely, you can pick just one…

CHOOSING NOTHING, WHEN WE CAN DO ANYTHING

But sometimes having so many options isn’t such a good thing. Often, with too much at our disposal, there comes a tendency to keep still—to choose ‘none of the above’ when we can’t make up our minds on just one mission.

Such feelings are not limited to charitable giving recruiting volunteers. A 2012report from CNBC explains how the idea of ‘choosing nothing when there’s too much to choose from’ can apply to a retail grocery setting, and why warehouse giant Costco Wholesale offers, by comparison, far fewer options than its competitors.

“There was a research study in marketing that if you offer people 24different types of jellies, you’re not going to sell as many as if you offer them six,” says Pam Danziger, owner and founder of Unity Marketing, based out of southern Pennsylvania.

“Making people decide, that causes confusion, and they ultimately decide to walk away. At Costco, you don’t have to make those decisions.”

But of course…we’re not talking about buying soup or potato chips here. At the end of the day, people’s needs go unmet when we waffle on where to direct our good intentions. That’s a real problem, and throwing up our hands and saying “there’s just too much need out there; I can’t decide who to help,” doesn’t seem like an appropriate response.

STARTING POINTS

So why is it, that when we’re told ‘we can do anything,’ our response is all too often to do nothing? What, if anything, can be done to change our way of thinking, and seek a better response?

Jim Bell, recently-named CEO of Siloam Mission, a Winnipeg-based Christian outreach ministry, agrees that knowing where to begin ‘changing the world’ can be daunting—even on a local level.

“In trying to make a difference, I know sometimes I have wondered where to start because needs are so tremendous,” he says. “My advice would be to listen and learn as much as one can in order to try and understand the needs.”

Angie Draskovic, president and CEO of Yonge Street Mission in Toronto, echoes the sentiment of not knowing where to start helping.

“I can remember the exact moment and place I was when I was given clarity on whom I was to advocate for, those living in poverty—and, in that same moment saying to God, ‘Well that’s great, I’m not a missionary or a social worker. What on earth is a sales/marketing executive supposed to be able to do to help the poor?’”

RACE AGAINST TIME

Much of the time, it can seem as though there simply isn’t enough time for people to actually make a difference. We often feel tied down by other commitments, such as family and home life, something that can understandably dissuade people from seeking worthy donation causes, or knowing how they can play a part in changing the world around them. It’s not as though we don’t want to help—but it’s not like we can just abandon our families and join a cause, whether locally or internationally.

Kari Henley, a blog editor at SilverNest and self-described wife and busy mom, understands these concerns. She says the feeling of having no time is among the top reasons a lot of people list for not volunteering or giving, in addition to not feeling qualified, the affordability of donations, or not being able to decide on a particular cause. Such feelings are not uncommon—but are still no excuse for thinking there’s nothing we can do.

“Most of us walk down the streets, lattes in hand, self-absorbed in our tweets and general activism apathy,” she writes in a 2011 column from Huffington Post. “We have to feel a calling. We have to be pulled. Bottom line, we have to care.”

But perhaps it’s more a matter of priority than an actual lack of time.

Statistics Canada reports that “top volunteers,” a group comprising ten per cent of all people who volunteered in 2010, contributed to roughly 53 per cent of all volunteer hours for the entire year. These people put in “more than 390 hours to their volunteer activities, the equivalent of at least 10 weeks in a full time job.” On average, ‘top volunteers’ spend about seven-and-a-half hours each week working for their respective causes.

At the same time, a survey from online database Statista reports that the average Canadian spends somewhere between 16 and 39 hours each week watching television, with people aged 55 and above being on the high end of that spectrum. So while there’s no doubt that the hours can fill up quickly and slip away from would-be volunteers, it might not be unreasonable to suggest a little restructuring of the day planner can go a long way towards finding the time to make an impact—on any level. And doing so can actually change the world of the people involved—not only those being helped, but also for the people doing the helping.

Henley says that in addition to meeting new people, people we wouldn’t typically encounter outside the realms of service work, volunteering can help to provide perspective on your own life circumstances, something that’s helpful for people to realize that “there is always someone worse off than you are.”

“Getting out of our personal mirefor a while is healthy and therapeutic,”she says.

DITCHING EXCUSES, MOVING FORWARD

But beyond the benefits of self improvement, donations and volunteering can have a real world, life-changing impact for the people those groups attempt to serve. Potential volunteers need to be encouraged that they can have an impact, says Draskovic.

“We don’t have to do this all by ourselves, but we do have to do it together—all of us,” she says. “The biggest problem is that we don’t believe we can change things. The apathy of our society toward our community problems is the fuel that continues to make our challenges insurmountable.”

Draskovic adds that everyone, no matter what their skill set, can playa part in changing the world, even if only on a small scale. The key, she says, is discernment.

“I think the key is in self reflection on two things, your passion and how your gifts, experiences, and skills can be applied to advance that cause.

“If everyone sought God’s direction on what He is doing in their midst, took one step forward to be a part of it and brought their expertise to the table, I believe that we could bring great change. I think that is actually God’s plan for community.”

Bell adds that while there’s often atendency for volunteers to feel stuckas individuals, being involved incommunal forms of service can be aneffective solution as well.

“They don’t need to necessarily volunteer alone,” he says. “They can [also] come as a group.

As well, Bell says that not every person needs to be the one changing the world on a ground level. Not everyone is called to a life of hands-on service, and certain individuals might genuinely lack the needed skills to do so. Still, there is a place for everyone, even if it’s only to offer support for the ones getting their hands dirty.

“Encouragement goes a long way whether it be given to our present volunteers or those considering it. And they need to know that they are in fact making a huge difference by serving,” he says.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

it doesn’t have to be complex or grandiose—starting small is a good thing. In his book Walk In Their Shoes: One Person Can Change the World?, author Jim Ziolkowski lists several tangible starting points for people unsure of what they themselves can do. Starting with your own family can be a good first step.

“We forget how many isolated, needy members of society exist in our immediate circle,” he says. “Is there a nephew in your life without anyone to take him to (or pay for) his school? Is there an elderly aunt whose car need san oil change? Compassion…isn’t just for strangers.”

He also notes that volunteering isn’t always easy, and people shouldn’t feel the need to ‘have it all together’ before they decide to take the plunge.

“Nobody really brings this up,” he says, “but we sometimes feel as if we have to act differently when we’re helping people—pulled together, positive and cheerful at every moment.” It’s okay to be real, he says. In fact, that’s part of the experience.

“That’s the secret of service,” says Ziolkowski. “It’s about both people receiving.”

Lastly, he says that teaching children from a young age to see service as a virtue. Doing so creates a “chain reaction,” he says.

“By donating their time and efforts, they realize that even if they don’t have an Xbox or a car or, in some cases, a house, they can contribute something, be it time or kindness or experience.”

CONCLUSION

But most of all, pray about it. We’re called to love God, as well as each other. Part of how we do that is stepping up to help when the world calls out for it. God has gifted each one of us in different ways, and no one gets a free pass when it comes to serving.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10)

There are lots of little things we can do to help. Whatever it is you think you should be doing…talk it through with friends. Ask God for clarity. Look into how feasible it might actually be to carve out a large chunk of time and effort to work abroad or join a service project here at home. But in the meantime, just do something.

Yes, every one of us is just one person. But to the people we’re helping, it can be a world of difference.

/ ROB HORSLEY is the Managing Editor of SEVEN, and resides in Saskatoon.