I volunteer, but only when I can use my skills or expertise and I can do quality, unrushed work, I can be proud of. I don’t volunteer when it’s only busy work, and the volunteers are basically unpaid labourers that are ✨appreciated✨.

One of my volunteering is for sharpening local’s tools and knives to prevent waste and to ease people’s lives/work. Here the work is hard, takes lots of thought and can be physically intensive when there’s a lot on the table. I take pride in doing the hard and difficult where many can’t, while providing an excellent service. I don’t need to worry as if it’s a business, I can take my sweet time making sure every inch of the edge is perfect. In this case the work is fulfilling and I am genuinely appreciated and essential.

On the other hand, an example of the latter kind of volunteering would be carpentry for affordable housing (near me, YMMV). I would be ecstatic to work for it and learn, but it’s not really carpentry. They hire professionals to finish the components (timber frames), use volunteers to merely transport these components and professionals to install them again. The work here is busy and tedious. Not to mention you HAVE to come in before 8am, fuck that lol.

That describes a lot of the volunteering in many different ways. The nearby soup kitchen provides affordable meals, volunteers merely carry ingredients and dishes from place to place, while only the pros cook or have any control. Furniture restoration, I dabble in woodworking and was excited for this one, but same schtick, different place. Volunteers are the ones to break their backs lugging the furniture around for actual professionals to do the real work.

That’s why I’m soon thinking of helping the community garden, maintain the tools, educate and then do some busy work if necessary. More fulfilling and appreciated, as you’re working for “customers” directly.