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Why Should I Volunteer?

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When I finally retire from credit union land I always thought that I’d volunteer. I’ve always been inspired by our volunteer board of directors. For the most part the people that are elected to a credit union have little knowledge about how to run a cooperative financial institution but they have a servant’s heart and a desire to help. Many of them come from being loyal members and know what it’s like to be a member, which is super important. I have worked with some pretty impressive boards of directors at high tech credit unions that are able to draw upon their field of membership expertise and recruit CPAs, HR professionals, Technology experts, etc. Not all are that fortunate, but it’s up to us to cultivate the best talent, give them guidance and the education necessary to make solid decisions.

Rather than wait for retirement I recently was presented with the opportunity to volunteer to fight fires and provide emergency medical services for our tiny remote town of 589 residents. We were in danger of losing our ambulance and fire truck because we did not have enough residents that were volunteers. At first I thought I might be too old. Turns out I’m more around the average age of our volunteers. Then there’s the training. I will begin formal EMT Basic training winter term at the local community college. In the meantime, a lot of this is “on the job” training. Or as I like to think of it – in the truck training.

Once a month our Chief conducts training at the station. This is ongoing for seasoned volunteers and orientation for newbies like myself. The first 3 hours of my training we went over driver safety. I learned that lights and sirens don’t give you any power to speed, blow through traffic lights or generally get people out of the way. Lights and sirens are your way of asking “Please, will you let me go first?” If the jerks on the road decide you don’t, you just don’t. The goal is to always arrive alive (with your patient) and get home. After that training they fed us lunch and then we were asked to help clean up the fire station. Then it happened, we got a call. And the Chief said “Want to drive?” Heck yes and off I went. I was successful.

This got me to thinking about how we train our volunteers. There are some great programs out there to be sure, but in the beginning there’s quite a bit of “on the job” training. Think of what their first board meeting must be like? A giant board packet filled with reports and a plethora of data, numbers, and decisions. It’s as overwhelming as tossing them the keys to an ambulance. The volunteer board puts their personal reputation on the line when they agree to serve. They are responsible for setting the strategy for a multimillion-dollar financial institution. So why would anyone do that? And don’t say it’s the trip to Hawaii they get to take with their spouse and the free dinner each month. That’s not why most of them do it.

They do it because they care. I know that sounds simplistic in nature, but it’s true. I have discovered this new person inside of me that wants to make a difference in a way that was never on my radar. It feels good to donate time where you’re not getting paid. Sure, we get cool shirts and a free lunch and a “stipend” for each run, but even without that, I’d still do it.

So let’s make sure we appreciate those volunteers. Give them the training they need to be successful and feel as if they are contributing. Acknowledge that they have “another life” and have chosen to take from their free time and give it to your credit union. Oh, and make sure you feed them.

IMG_7833ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Denise Wymore is a credit union lifer, evangelist and cheerleader for passion and commitment. In her 30 plus years serving the movement she has challenged credit unions to stay committed to the cooperative principles. She believes we are better together. So it was a natural for Denise to join NACUSO in September of last year where she serves as the Membership and Advocacy Development Officer. She’s also a Volunteer Firefighter/EMS in Cochiti Lake, New Mexico.