When Did Volunteering Become Such a Pain?

[IndependntLogic]

The veterans group I was working with moved to another state. So I have offered to volunteer with several organizations for over a month now. I won't say which they are because I'm sure they have enough challenges. In one case, I am told they would love to have me help, sent me an application to fill and return etc... I did as instructed. Never heard back. Called to follow up. Was told they would get right back to me. Never heard from them. Repeat again and again. WTH? Another one was thrilled. I need to pay about $150 out of pocket to get what they need for me to volunteer with them. That blows. Oh well. The last one was also very excited. E-mails back and forth. They love that I can help people with resumes, interviewing etc... (I own an employment agency so this is my area of expertise). They'll get right back to me. It's been weeks. I've always been a volunteer. Teen crisis centers, Children's Hospital, Homeless shelters, whatever. I've never seen anything like this. I think I'll just start a new charity. It would probably be quicker

 

[del]

 

[Quantum Windbag]

The veterans group I was working with moved to another state. So I have offered to volunteer with several organizations for over a month now. I won't say which they are because I'm sure they have enough challenges. In one case, I am told they would love to have me help, sent me an application to fill and return etc... I did as instructed. Never heard back. Called to follow up. Was told they would get right back to me. Never heard from them. Repeat again and again. WTH? Another one was thrilled. I need to pay about $150 out of pocket to get what they need for me to volunteer with them. That blows. Oh well. The last one was also very excited. E-mails back and forth. They love that I can help people with resumes, interviewing etc... (I own an employment agency so this is my area of expertise). They'll get right back to me. It's been weeks. I've always been a volunteer. Teen crisis centers, Children's Hospital, Homeless shelters, whatever. I've never seen anything like this. I think I'll just start a new charity. It would probably be quicker

Those government regulations you love ain't so much fun after all, are they?

 

[whitehall]

Tell us what they are. Apparently they don't actually have enough challenges.

 

[IndependntLogic]

Tell us what they are. Apparently they don't actually have enough challenges.

Well one is Meals on Wheels. We have a lot of old, poor people out there nowadays. Seems like a worthwhile cause.

 

[Oddball]

The veterans group I was working with moved to another state. So I have offered to volunteer with several organizations for over a month now. I won't say which they are because I'm sure they have enough challenges. In one case, I am told they would love to have me help, sent me an application to fill and return etc... I did as instructed. Never heard back. Called to follow up. Was told they would get right back to me. Never heard from them. Repeat again and again. WTH? Another one was thrilled. I need to pay about $150 out of pocket to get what they need for me to volunteer with them. That blows. Oh well. The last one was also very excited. E-mails back and forth. They love that I can help people with resumes, interviewing etc... (I own an employment agency so this is my area of expertise). They'll get right back to me. It's been weeks. I've always been a volunteer. Teen crisis centers, Children's Hospital, Homeless shelters, whatever. I've never seen anything like this. I think I'll just start a new charity. It would probably be quicker

Those government regulations you love ain't so much fun after all, are they?

Friggin' sucks, dude.

I was part of a search for a missing autistic camper a couple summers ago.....Local people brought in all kinds of really good home made food for the volunteers to eat during the breaks between searches.

Some do-gooder wanker snitched to the local health department.

After that, it was strictly burgers, sausages and beans off a grill, and pre-packaged crap like Twinkies.

Seems that douchebaggery never sleeps.

 

[IndependntLogic]

The veterans group I was working with moved to another state. So I have offered to volunteer with several organizations for over a month now. I won't say which they are because I'm sure they have enough challenges. In one case, I am told they would love to have me help, sent me an application to fill and return etc... I did as instructed. Never heard back. Called to follow up. Was told they would get right back to me. Never heard from them. Repeat again and again. WTH? Another one was thrilled. I need to pay about $150 out of pocket to get what they need for me to volunteer with them. That blows. Oh well. The last one was also very excited. E-mails back and forth. They love that I can help people with resumes, interviewing etc... (I own an employment agency so this is my area of expertise). They'll get right back to me. It's been weeks. I've always been a volunteer. Teen crisis centers, Children's Hospital, Homeless shelters, whatever. I've never seen anything like this. I think I'll just start a new charity. It would probably be quicker

Those government regulations you love ain't so much fun after all, are they?

Friggin' sucks, dude.

I was part of a search for a missing autistic camper a couple summers ago.....Local people brought in all kinds of really good home made food for the volunteers to eat during the breaks between searches.

Some do-gooder wanker snitched to the local health department.

After that, it was strictly burgers, sausages and beans off a grill, and pre-packaged crap like Twinkies.

Seems that douchebaggery never sleeps.

I did S&R in Houston after Hurricane Ike. Almost got killed when a tree came off a roof. Scared the LIVIN SHIT outta me! I'll never forget that. I'll also never forget that all anyone had to do to help, was show up. And people came out of their houses with food drinks and (gasp!) beer all the time. We weren't allowed to drink beer - which was reasonable.
On the other side? FEMA, couple years earlier. I had a couple extra bedrooms and offered to take in a family from New Orleans. They didn't show up on the day they were scheduled. I had to call FEMA friggin 20 times to get through. First they couldn't find me and then when they did, they figured something out: They lost the family. Seriously. They lost them. WTF??? Three people just gone. One of the people at my church volunteered a room to two people. FEMA delivered eight. Wrong family. It was like that all over the danm place.
So okay, I'll pay for the physical, the records, the CPR/AED card, the TB test and the background check to volunteer at my daughter's school. it's rated among the best in the country by Newsweek (yay!) but they just had their budgets cut... again. Our priorities in this country are so screwed up, sometimes.

Oh, and ya gotta love the "ignore" feature here. Anyone stupid enough to assume I love all regulations is way to much of an ignorant whackjob to ever bother reading. The little puppy follows me around like a cocker spaniel - not to argue issues but to just post about me. Ahhhh obssession.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

Those government regulations you love ain't so much fun after all, are they?

Friggin' sucks, dude.

I was part of a search for a missing autistic camper a couple summers ago.....Local people brought in all kinds of really good home made food for the volunteers to eat during the breaks between searches.

Some do-gooder wanker snitched to the local health department.

After that, it was strictly burgers, sausages and beans off a grill, and pre-packaged crap like Twinkies.

Seems that douchebaggery never sleeps.

I did S&R in Houston after Hurricane Ike. Almost got killed when a tree came off a roof. Scared the LIVIN SHIT outta me! I'll never forget that. I'll also never forget that all anyone had to do to help, was show up. And people came out of their houses with food drinks and (gasp!) beer all the time. We weren't allowed to drink beer - which was reasonable.
On the other side? FEMA, couple years earlier. I had a couple extra bedrooms and offered to take in a family from New Orleans. They didn't show up on the day they were scheduled. I had to call FEMA friggin 20 times to get through. First they couldn't find me and then when they did, they figured something out: They lost the family. Seriously. They lost them. WTF??? Three people just gone. One of the people at my church volunteered a room to two people. FEMA delivered eight. Wrong family. It was like that all over the danm place.
So okay, I'll pay for the physical, the records, the CPR/AED card, the TB test and the background check to volunteer at my daughter's school. it's rated among the best in the country by Newsweek (yay!) but they just had their budgets cut... again. Our priorities in this country are so screwed up, sometimes.

Oh, and ya gotta love the "ignore" feature here. Anyone stupid enough to assume I love all regulations is way to much of an ignorant whackjob to ever bother reading. The little puppy follows me around like a cocker spaniel - not to argue issues but to just post about me. Ahhhh obssession.

Funny, I don't recall saying you love all regulations, I just pointed out that the ones you do love tend to impact people in unexpected ways.

 

[editec]

What does Independent's story of volunteerism have to do with government regulations?

Nothing whatever.

Jesus! kids, get a grip.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

What does Independent's story of volunteerism have to do with government regulations?

Nothing whatever.

Jesus! kids, get a grip.

Sure it doesn't, because the government would never actually regulate that anyone who wants to volunteer at a school needs a background check, a TB test, training in CPR/AED. or a physical, he is lying about that to prove that a guy he has on ignore for pointing things like that out is right.

​

 

[IndependntLogic]

What does Independent's story of volunteerism have to do with government regulations?
Nothing whatever.

Jesus! kids, get a grip.

I assume you're referring to something posted by Quantum? (I have him on ignore - it's a wonderful thing ) He's my little puppy. Just follows me from thread to thread and yips away!

In any case, this has been more an organizational thing than anything else. One gal lost my application - twice. Turns out every large file is going in her junk folder - which means every application, .pdf file etc... are all going there. We had a good laugh about it today. She's new on the job and although she's great with people, ummmmmm not so much with computers. So now it will be a week or two and I'll be feeding old people! WooHoo!

 

[IndependntLogic]

OKAY GOD IS COOL!
I've been helping my daughter prepare for finals. Takes me back in the day. So anyway, I've been teaching her mnemonics, acrostics, acronyms etc... Very effective stuff for test-taking. Well, I've been a little frustrated because our family have always been volunteers and lately, everywhere we've offered to volunteer has either lost my paperwork, not been sure what to do with me etc... I got a call from Nellis Air Force Base and they asked if I could develop a program to help servicemen pass tests. I laughed out loud. My wife and daughter are always astounded that "Jeopardy" is so easy for me. There is nothing the Air Force could have asked of me (with the possible exception of public speaking) that could have been better suited for me! God is awesome! I am often impatient and lacking wisdom but The Big G compensates for me being an idiot by always doing better for me, than I could have done on my own. So I'll be helping our servicemen & women get promoted, get into college etc... ! Business is good and for that I'm grateful, but giving to my family and community fills me with a sense of purpose. Thanks God!

 

[Mr. H.]

Glad you finally found your niche.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I belonged to a VFW in Tokyo when I was living in Japan. Seems all the members wanted to do was sit in the exact same seat everyday, drink the same beer and tell the same f*ckin' stories over and over. Then in the summer, organize fishing trips to the same places.

Retiree: "See, back in the 50's and 60's I was doin' blah blah blah..."
Me: "Well what are you doing now?"
Retiree: "Well, not much. But back in the 50's..."
Me: "I gotta' go".

Is that what retirement is like? If so I NEVER want to retire.