What is social work

Social work is helping individuals, families, groups and communities to enhance their individual and collective well-being. It aims to help people develop their skills and their ability to use their own resources and those of the community to resolve problems.

Why Volunteering is the best for social work

We want motivated, not mandatory volunteers. We want willing, not “paid” volunteers.
Add up the hours if you must but do not be blinded by the numbers. The value of volunteering is much deeper, much more fulfilling and much more important in contributing to a healthy and vibrant community than money can ever measure.

In the end, we cannot and should not put a monetary value on volunteering. How can we put a monetary value on ordinary people doing extraordinary things?

Qualities of a volunteer

Social workers need a thorough understanding of different contexts. This can be achieved through broadening of their skills so that they are able to transmit knowledge in different situations, this could also be achieved through the use of reflective and reflexive approaches. Sometimes resistance may occur when dealing with people with different cultural, political, biological, historical backgrounds. Hence, social workers should be creative in their approaches.

What does a volunteer get by doing social work

Volunteering has the ability to improve the quality of life and health of those who donate their time and research has found that older adults will benefit the most from volunteering. Physical and mental ailments plaguing older adults can be healed through the simple act of helping others; however, one must be performing the good deed from a selfless nature. There are barriers that can prevent older adults from participating in volunteer work, such as socio-economic status, opinions held by others, and even current health issues. However, these barriers can be overcome so that if one would like to be involved in volunteer work they can do so. Volunteering improves not only the communities in which one serves, but also the life of the individual who is providing help to the community.

Why paid volunteering is harmful

This is a slippery slope. It infers that volunteer work is replacing paid labour. It infers that if work is not paid for, it is not valuable. It reduces volunteerism to hours worked instead of contribution made. It ignores the value of volunteers in creating a vibrant civil society – dynamic, engaged and self-reliant.

To attempt to put a monetary figure on the value of volunteerism cheapens and undermines the basic concept.

Volunteering is helping, not hiring; giving, not taking; contributing, not counting.

We want motivated, not mandatory volunteers. We want willing, not “paid” volunteers.
Add up the hours if you must but do not be blinded by the numbers. The value of volunteering is much deeper, much more fulfilling and much more important in contributing to a healthy and vibrant community than money can ever measure.

How can we put a monetary value on ordinary people doing extraordinary things?

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