Volunteer Burn-Out: A good-humored reminder from “the other side.”
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Life seems to get busier and busier. This list is a humorous reminder that we should always nurture our volunteers, understand that they too have multiple competing priorities, and thank them at every opportunity!
Some humor for your day. . .
You might have volunteer burn-out if:
• On the average there are more kids at your house daily than you have actually given birth to.
• You have a PDA to keep track of all the things you volunteer for.
• Your husband, sitting next to you, has to call you on his cell phone just to schedule some time with you.
• Whenever you hear the timer on the stove or the alarm in the morning you snarl because it reminds you of how much time you DON’T have.
• You’ve started volunteering for more projects to get out of the ones you are already committed to.
• You realize that you’re in this for life, which is funny because you no longer even have one.
• You’re away from home so much you need to be reminded where it is.
• You’re thinking of committing a petty crime so it will show up on your next background check and prevent you from volunteering.
• Your child innocently asks for dinner and you give a thirty-minute speech on how all you do is give and you’ve got nothing left to give.
• You fantasize about sending a bill for your time to those you volunteer for or wonder if your time and talent are worthy of a tax write-off.
• Every time somebody praises you for your volunteer work you eye them suspiciously, certain that they will give you more to do.
• You’ve contacted the witness relocation program to hide you from the committee chairperson.
• You’re thinking of going back to work full-time just to cut down on your workload.
Credit: www.momshack.com
Julie D. Mulkern is a Featured Blogger and the Volunteer Resources & Development Manager for Spring Harbor Hospital.