Volunteerism Writeoff: pitch in with PMD
Written: Dec 02 '00 (Updated Jan 18 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: hands-on projects, educational component, sense of community
Cons: fewer projects than other volunteer organizations
The Bottom Line: A good volunteer organization for busy Bostonians.
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| soxfan's Full Review: Charity Organizations |
I hate to admit this, but I used to think I didn't have time to volunteer.
In my defense, I have a helter-skelter schedule. I'm working for a children's theater company and its soon-to-be-launched entertainment website, an exciting but hectic position that can eat up weekends and evenings without warning. Add to that contract work to pay the bills, everyday duties like laundry and grocery shopping, hobbies, a social life, and the addiction that is Epinions...and you end up with one sleep-deprived soxfan.
Fortunately, I know a group that will take the hours I can give, and put them to good use. People Making a Difference, my choice for argonut's Volunteerism Writeoff, gives even the busiest folks the opportunity to serve - and educates them in the process.
To contribute to this worthy cause, I'll be donating all ERoyalties from this epinion to People Making a Difference, and pledging one hour of service for every dollar earned (up to 50 hours or 10 projects, whichever is greater). A list of participants can be found at the end of this post.
The concept behind a charity
People Making a Difference - PMD, for short - has a simple mission: to bring together local charities and would-be volunteers for one-day community service projects. The Boston-based nonprofit is involved with each project from start to finish, coordinating with the charity being served, notifying its members, and leading the volunteer team on the day of the project itself.
Before I start raving on about all of this group's good points, I need to say a couple of words about its one weakness: PMD is not the most prolific source of projects. According to a letter I received earlier this month, the group organized 50 volunteer opportunities in 2000. That's an average of four or five projects a month, a drop in the proverbial bucket compared to the output of other service organizations.
Then why have I given PMD five out of five stars? Because quality means more to me than quantity, and PMD has quality in spades.
PMD means organization
When I sign up for a project, I know exactly what to expect. First comes the confirmation e-mail from Lori Tsuruda, the group's executive director and founder. A week before the project, I'll receive a packet in the mail with the who, what, when, where, and why, information about the agency being served, and a waiver form for me to read and sign.
The organization doesn't stop there. Each project starts out the same way, with an introduction by the PMD project leader, a go-around-the-room-and-share to the other volunteers, and a short presentation by the staff member in charge. Throughout the day, the PMD project leader makes sure to check in with participants (Do you want a break? Do you need to change tasks?); at the end of the day, s/he wraps things up with an assessment of the day's work.
PMD means education
The more you know about the group you're helping, the more meaningful your work becomes - something PMD understands very well. The education begins as soon as you open your information packet, picks up with orientation, and continues through to completion of the project. Sometimes even after, for staff members will often hand out literature for further reading.
PMD has introduced me to charities like the Women's Lunch Place, a day shelter that offers advocacy, homemade meals, and other services to homeless women and their families, and the National Braille Press, which publishes Braille versions of computer guides, children's books, and other titles. Thanks in part to PMD's educational efforts, I've volunteered for a second project with each agency, and would happily return for more. This epinion was written by soxfan. If you're reading this on someone else's page, this review was plagiarized. Sorry to have to put this in.
PMD means hands-on work
And I don't mean filing or envelope-stuffing. A PMD project requires you to get physical, with tasks like cooking and serving lunch, painting doorframes, or boxing Braille editions of the latest Harry Potter opus. I spend way too much time in front of a computer, so I enjoy doing more active work. An even bigger benefit is being able to see, touch, and taste the fruit of your efforts.
PMD means community
Before I joined PMD, I volunteered a few times with another group that shall go nameless. Though I liked the work this organization was doing, I was appalled at the condescending attitude ("yuppie oblige," I call it) displayed by some of its members.
I've never encountered any of the sort at a PMD project. That's partially because the nonprofit has attracted a wide range of folks - people in their 20s, 30s, 40s and on, from a variety of backgrounds. PMD also takes pains, through formal and informal means, to encourage dialogue between volunteer and volunteer and/or volunteer and agency staff. Another nice touch: the home-baked cookies, usually chocolate chip, that close each project.
Above all else, PMD means the opportunity to give back
If it weren't for PMD, I'd find it almost impossible to volunteer. The Women's Lunch Place, for example, asks its volunteers for at least eight hours per month for six months - a commitment that my current schedule doesn't permit me to make. Participating in PMD projects allows me to help out when I can spare the hours, while preparing me for the day when I have more time to give.
For more information on People Making a Difference, please check out the group's website at http://www.pmd.org/.
This review has been written as part of the Volunteerism write-off, organized by argonut. The purpose of this write-off is to give thanks and appreciation for the organizations dedicated to helping each one of us help other people. Please take a moment out of your day today to help someone in need. For more information about this write-off and to read other reviews of fabulous organizations such as this, please check out the following url:
http://mynook.com/volunteer.html
Have a great day!
-argonut, bigjack, bgoodday, broadwaybaby, caleo, dlbrantley, francesca57, jo.com, kelly60, nobody_knows, pokemonsick, redlass, sawasdee, soxfan, teskue, thundersangel & zoey123
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
soxfan
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Location: Boston, MA
Reviews written: 39
Trusted by: 69 members
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