One of the rescue group's new volunteers recently told the FC that she would no longer be helping out. The reason she gave? "I can't afford it right now."
Huh?
Our group is basically the only one in the area that DOESN'T actively solicit funds from its volunteers. Sure, if you've got some extra cash, we'll be glad to use it (FOR THE KITTIES), but what we're really looking for is people's time.
Time to do foster care.
Time to help out at adoption events.
Time to list cats and events on craigslist and on local community websites.
Time to bake cookies for one of our fundraising bake sales.
If you can't AFFORD to bake cookies, just help out at the sale. Okay? Thanks. We'll even give you a ride there.
So, okay, this lady's excuse is total bullsh*t. Which is fine, I mean, whatever, if you don't wanna help, that's okay, but it's left the rest of us volunteers wondering what was so awful about us that she quit our group after three events.
Was it when I grabbed a pair of scissors off the Agway shelf and asked J to cut my hair? (Thanks, J, I needed a trim!)
Was it when J and I got bored and put harnesses and leashes on the cats and paraded them around the store? (The cats loved it, I SWEAR. Well, some of them did.)
Was it when J and I got into a (very) lively discussion about what, EXACTLY, a "Bully Stick" dog treat is?
Hmmm ... I'm starting to see a pattern here ... It's J and I, isn't it? We scared her away.
Come back, volunteer! We'll tone it down!
Oh, who am I kidding? Hey, when you're sitting at an adoption event/bake sale/whatever for FOUR HOURS at stretch, things can get ... odd. Leave a woman who wears men's underwear and collects deer skulls and a lady with purple hair to their own devices, and things can get interesting.
So here's a question. Did you ever start volunteering for a group and then suddenly quit? If so, why?
Was it me?
Because now I'm wondering.
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6 comments:
The reason could be anything. "Afford" could also be true. that she can't afford the gas money, or the time, or the emotional investment.
Yes, I've quit occasionally. Once because I just didn't fit in with the other people, once because they kept layering on responsibilities (all I wanted to do was paint walls and wash floors, NOT handle the membership database and all communications), and a time or two or three because I wasn't getting out of it what I wanted. When you're getting dressed to go and you're hoping to throw up or something so you'll have an excuse not to go, you know it isn't right for you.
You weren't doing all these activities in JUST your underwear, were you? Because that might have been a factor. Seriously ... don't sweat it.
I quit the animal rescue group I was initially in because it continued splintering into different factions. There were three alpha females (are there ever any men? No.) who ended up starting their own groups. But before that, they successfully browbeat me into taking on far more cats than I could afford. Polly and Butch were pushed on me (and yes, I loved them very much). I adopted Taylor, Dylan, Phoebe and Grace because I was certain they would be dead within a week if I didn't bring them home.
And one day, I just said, "I quit."
~~Silk, thanks for the insight.
Rob, yeah, maybe I'm overthinking things.
and Becs, yeah, the groups around here are breaking up all the damn time. Too many chiefs ... and I'd have a home crammed with fosters right now if I hadn't learned how to put my foot down - I guess crazy cat ladies think that EVERYBODY'S a crazy cat lady.
and I love the name Phoebe. There was an obit in the local paper today for a woman named Ione Phoebe - isn't that the best name EVER?
Sadly, there was also an obit for the guy who ran a local ice cream shop - he was a cranky old bastard, but he was also the only one who kept his shop open year-round, so if you wanted soft-serve in February, he was the only option.
He committed suicide on Sunday by sticking his head into a running ice-cream-making machine. I'm not even kidding. OSHA came and hauled the machine away.
I guess he really liked to get into his work...
Oh. That was bad. Bad Becs, bad!
Man. That kind of puts me off ice cream for awhile. I guess that's a good thing.
Becs, that was mild compared to the things being said on some of the local chat sites ... I guess we're all bad.
And oh my gosh, talking about rescues splintering ... I sent a Christmas card to the woman who fostered Pony and Soda for the rescue group I adopted them from ... she sent me back a card with a note saying that she has since gone out on her own as a rescue - she currently has over seventy (!) cats. I was going to say that there's a fine line between rescue and hoarding, but lately I'm wondering if there's any line at all ...
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