This Saturday, I am taking my engagement with the Women in Leadership Foundation to the next level. As a 2010 mentee and gala event volunteer, I will be one of  WIL’s enthusiasts greeting you at the 3rd Annual Superwomen and Friends Gala at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel. Since my first contact with WIL, a lot has changed, and I am happy to share that the foundation has helped me achieve some of the goals that I had set for this year.

Audi of Richmond is the 2010 gala event major sponsor and I am very pround to have three Brazilian enterpreneur women donating their time, products and services to help WIL empower over 100 women across Canada. Lili Vieira de Carvalho is donating a couple of nights at her super cozy condo, Belle Meinerz Photography has donated a one-hour photosession, and Green Sapphire Imports will have a beautiful necklace at the silent auction. I do intend to bid in all these three items donated by my superwomen friends. (Let’s face it! A city getaway, a marvelous photoshoot, or a gorgeous necklace made of Brazilian berries are wonderful things to have, don’t you think?)

So, what are you waiting for? Go to WIL’s website and commit to taking your best friend for dinner. You’ll get pampered at the make-up bar before your red carpet entrance, then drink Blasted Church‘s delicious wine, watch a great fashion show and have the opportunity to meet superwomen like you!

Women in Leadership Foundation: 3rd Annual Superwomen & Friends Gala is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

Written by Dianne Russell

‘What are you planning  to do in South Africa?’

‘I’m going to volunteer as an ESL teacher in a centre that helps African refugees.’

‘For no pay?’

‘Yes.’

[Silence]

‘Why would you work for no pay?!’

This is one of the first conversations I had in South Africa.  It took me by surprise and made me realize that I certainly wasn’t in Canada anymore.  I had never heard of anyone challenging the idea of working as a volunteer, and it made me very curious.

Since then, I have been asked the same question a few times, always in the same, bewildered tone.  I’m exploring my personal theories about what leads to this question in South Africa, and I do know what to say now as I’ve rehearsed and perfected my answer.

1- Volunteering is Stimulating

Since I do not yet have a work visa, I am unable to get pay for my work here in South Africa.  I know… it is a terrific reason to sit on my butt and eat bon bons all day, however, that  kind of life is simply not for me.  Yes, I love my partner like crazy, but I need to interact with more than one person.  I need stimulation (we ADHDers can’t live without it lest we die of boredom), which for me involves interacting with a wide variety of people.  People’s energy is infectious, and I thrive in bustling environments where energy flows freely. Volunteering in a large organization provides me the constant energy bursts that keep me afloat.

The Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town (where I now volunteer) is a busy place staffed mainly with volunteers from across Europe and the US.  It is alive with people seeking help with language instruction, career-planning, medical treatment, counselling and job training. It is an intersection of people who love to give and people who desperately need to receive.  The energy is palpable, and it is here where I feel most alive. The day I taught my first class here was so memorable – I bounded out of the school Tiggeresque-style, and my partner asked me if I had been injected with some kind of stimulant.   I certainly had.

2 – Volunteering is Educational

Conversations with people from other countries, linguistic and ethnic groups, socio-economic, religious and cultural backgrounds, allow me to intimately explore sides of life and culture that one normally would not see.  It expands my mind, giving me alternate perspectives, and challenges my sometimes rigid take on the world.

Volunteering in Cape Town is teaching me about the peoples of Africa; I am exposed to their food, clothing, music, and customs.  I learn new languages, political ideologies, social theories and ways of perceiving current affairs. Yes, one can read about other cultures in books or by watching Discovery TV, but volunteering has given me the best up-close and personal education about Africa that money simply cannot buy.

3 – Volunteering is Inspiring

My jobs (teacher, immigration & customs officer/auto claims adjuster) have all required me to interact with a large number of people on a daily basis.  I have met celebrities (Jack Nicholson was my favourite), criminals, immigrants, psychopaths, and everything in between. However, the people who have touched my heart the most are the people I meet through volunteering.

My students amaze me every day with their motivation, drive, passion, energy, positivity and   faith.  Here in South Africa, my classroom is full of refugees from other African countries.      Although they bring with them skills, talent and experience, they are not being welcomed to this country – xenophobic attacks on migrants is a serious issue here –, and my students deal with threats on a daily basis.  However, that does not prevent them from coming to school.

My students also face challenges in supporting themselves and their families.  Many of them     work through the night as car-park guards (a thriving informal industry created by immigrants) yet arrive at school with smiles on their faces and songs in their hearts.  Whenever I feel that life is difficult, whenever I have moment of feeling hard done by, I look at their shining faces and know that I am blessed beyond their wildest imaginations.

Volunteering gives me so much more that I can possibly give myself.  I feel privileged to be in the classroom, making friends with people unafraid of life and the challenges it brings.  They have experienced every hardship, every pain, every frustration and every disappointment.  Yet they remain.  Their spirits remain intact.  They don’t complain, whine, moan or groan.  They make astute observations about the problems in this country, and frankly, I think they bring much needed wisdom and insight. South Africans can learn a lot from these people, and the deep relationships and cultural bridges being developed between the refugees and expats who help them could potentially shift the direction of this country.

For information about volunteering at Scalabrini, please contact Daniela (a passionate returning South African who does amazing work in this community!):  Daniela [at] scalabrini.org.za

3 Reasons Why I Work for No Pay in Cape Town is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

The National Volunteer Week is an opportunity for non-profit organizations to appreciate the work of their volunteers Canada-wide. I particularly see this week as a chance to inspire other people to engage in their community, share and connect with others.

You’re probably thinking that I am so pro-volunteerism because of my job at ISSofBC. You guessed right! Before moving to Canada, I would never consider working for free. Volunteerism was an activity only possible after retiring or winning the lottery! However, since my work requires me to engage, train and encourage volunteers, I realized back in 2008 that I had to roll up my sleeves and start my volunteer career in Vancouver.

After 2 years working as volunteer at different non-profit organizations, I can tell you that it is fun! From TV Host to dog handler, I’ve tried it all! I am currently balancing my full-time job at ISSofBC with my online communications coordination work at Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, and a pet visitor (with Ipanema) position at Yaletown House. I can proudly say that every single volunteer opportunity brought more opportunities to my life than I could imagine when I first accepted then. The feeling of accomplishment and both professional and personal connections that I gained from my unpaid positions have been working as a fair trade for me.

If you are excited about getting involved in the community, you can learn more about the organizations before you commit to a specific position by attending the Timeraiser Vancouver on September 23rd. If you can’t wait until September, Go Volunteer has been the source of all my volunteer positions and will probably have something for you as well!

Are you currently a volunteer at a non-profit organization? Where? What is the best story you have to share so far?

Canada: National Volunteer Week 2010 is a post from: MadameHeringer.com