Making Volunteering Relevant

What does it mean to make volunteering relevant? Rachael Chong is CEO and founder of Catchafire, a non-profit that matches volunteers to opportunities based on their professional skill. She argues that, in order to make volunteering relevant, we must play to our strengths. A top notch lawyer, for example, would do a lot of good painting a house for low-income families but would probably be even more effective volunteering as a pro bono lawyer.

At Met Council, we have seen the advantages of a good match. While we always love to see everyone volunteering at our community kosher soup kitchen, Masbia, we are fortunate that many successful professionals choose to donate their time to our Job Readiness programs instead. These professionals are the best people for helping our clients because they speak about soft skills like interviewing and resume writing with years and years of experience.

What are your strengths and qualities?

You are: very detail-oriented and the most organized person you know
You should try volunteering for:  Office Volunteers

You are:  friendly and social
You should try volunteering for: Partners in Conversation, Masbia Soup Kitchen, Appointment Buddies, Homework Helpers

You are: Professional, Experienced, Friendly, and great at giving constructive criticism
You should try volunteering for: Professional Networking Workshop, Resume Review, Mock Interviews

You are: Patient and passionate about helping the homeless
You should try volunteering for: Job Readiness Programs in Hillside House (our Homeless Shelter for Women)

These are just a few of our programs. Do you have things you’re good at but are not sure what you want to do as a volunteer? Send us an email and we will be more than happy to help you find the most suitable opportunity: volunteer@metcouncil.org . Feel free also to fill out a questionnaire to best help us