Chatter

By Camille

July 9, 2007 8:23 AM | Link to this

Volunteering is something that I have really been considering doing for that last few months. I’ve looked into it, and would like to do things related to children, and shelters (homeless, women’s, etc.). I’ve subscribed to the newsletter of an agency in Atlanta that matches up volunteers with the various agencies, so I am able to go online to see what volunteer opportunities are available. I have done a couple of events on Saturdays, but would also like to do some volunteer work during the week. The problem is that I live in Gwinnett county and also have two children of my own (ages 9 and 2 years). Many of the volunteer opportunities that I am aware of are in the Atlanta, Cobb county and Dekalb county areas. With a 35 - 45 minute commute home and having to take care of my own family, it can be hard to volunteer as much as I would like to. If I were able to find more volunteer opportunities in my own area, I would definitely do it.

By KNF

July 9, 2007 8:56 AM | Link to this

Camille,

www.gwinnettcb.org How Can I Help?

My favorite: http://www.cleanupgwinnett.com/

By Dave

July 9, 2007 9:07 AM | Link to this

With a 3 hour daily commute, I never thought about it but it sounds like a plausible explanation.

By Claire

July 9, 2007 9:55 AM | Link to this

Traffic is just another excuse. The majority of people just don’t volunteer. As with anything, if you want to do it, you MAKE the time. I have been doing volunteer work every week for the past four years. Want to watch someone squirm? Ask them to join you to do some volunteer work. If people would just try it they would see what a difference just a few hours a week can make in someone else’s life (not to mention their own). I also have a job and two kids, so yes, it is possible!

By Noelle

July 9, 2007 10:41 AM | Link to this

Long commute times are by and large the fault of the commuter. That’s what you get for making a choice to live a long way from work.

People don’t volunteer because they don’t want to volunteer. Blaming it on traffic is just an excuse.

By BPJ

July 9, 2007 10:59 AM | Link to this

There is an organization here which helps match people with volunteer opportunities: Hands On Atlanta. It’s just the thing for busy people who would like to help out but are unable to make big time committments. See text to be linked.

By HAROLD

July 9, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this

Harold would write why people here don’t volunteer, but then Harold would get banned for mentioning race. Volunteerism is higher where people are helping other people who are just like them. It’s easier to think they are just down on their luck instead of useless and shifty like people are want to think about other people who are not just like them.

By lovelyliz

July 9, 2007 11:33 AM | Link to this

A long commute cuts into time for everything.

By PKT

July 9, 2007 11:36 AM | Link to this

I used to commute 3-4 hours a day. I totally understand that many people can’t fit their unreasonable commutes and volunteer work into their schedules. Now that I only drive a couple of miles I do volunteer work regularly. I really enjoy it. I love knowing I’m helping others in unfurtunate circumstances.

And in Atlanta people’s long commute is NOT always their own fault as Noelle stated. What happens when you choose a house close to where you work and then “down sized” and have to take a job further away. The cummuting issues in ATL are due to the GA government spending money to pave more lanes but not bothering to find actuall solutions to the traffice issues.

By SteveS

July 9, 2007 11:41 AM | Link to this

I have volunteered over 400 hours at the Georgia Aquarium, and my wife has also volunteered roughly 150 hours. While I have a relatively easy commute to the Aquarium, I work with other people that travel a long distance to have this opportunity. We have also served on the boards of various charities, been den leaders for scouts, been heavily involved in various non-profits, etc., and I find that most of the volunteers I meet have done the same. Volunteering has nothing to do with the ease of communting - it is a philosphical decision to better your community within areas that resonnate with your passions. The philosophy of Tikkun Olam - repairing the world - is important to each of our lives, and should be taught by modeling to all of our children. To not do so because “it is too hard” or “because the commute is too great” says more about the disconnect between the person’s perceived responsibility to the community than saying something about traffic patterns. My impression is that people that routinely give back to the community in whatever fashion are much happier individuals.

By Tank Girl

July 9, 2007 11:50 AM | Link to this

I’m so proud to say that I volunteer regularly at the Georgia Aquarium. Commuting is a fact of life in Atlanta. There are so many other reasons that would come to mind about why I wouldn’t volunteer over commuting. Volunteering requires some sacrifice - be it our time, energy, gas or other factors.

I’m very fortunate that my employer encourages us to volunteer each month and gives us paid time off to do so. It’s a win-win situation because I completely decompress from the stress of my extremely demanding job and I also make great business contacts while volunteering. My employer gets a more productive employee.

There have been times when I just needed a ‘lift’- I’ve put other things on the back-burner (ie laundry, yard work). Having a place that inspires and invigorates me while sharing my passion for aquatic life rocks.

By tony

July 9, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this

why do people complain about traffic when they live OTP?

By dailydriver

July 9, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this

The long commutes are not the fault of the worker. They are the many times the fault of the company. I work for a large company based in Vinings but with tons of stores and many office locations in Atlanta. I live in Buckhead but I’m forced to drive to Gwinnett because our corporation went to a “centralized” office strategy. Before, I could drive 4 miles to another local office but now it’s tons of miles, tons of gas, tons of time b/c someone thinks I can do a better job miles away from my customers. Others in my office drive from near Macon to Gwinnett everyday when there are several offices in the Stockbridge area. It takes them 2 hours there and back. I’d like to thank our company for giving us a demotion. I wonder why soo many of us are looking for other employment! Oddly enough, they let the wheels that squeak work close to their homes. Those of us that quietly do our jobs well are forced to drive across the state to keep our jobs! Thanks big O!

By Angela

July 9, 2007 12:55 PM | Link to this

With a daily 3 hour commute, I hardly have time to take care of the mundane, hygiene tasks. Hobbies and extracurricular activities are out of the question. Why don’t I move closer to my job? Well, I purchased my house to be close to my job. At that time it was a 20 minute commute. My family members (especially my elderly mother) moved so we could all be close to each other. Then my employer moved my office location. So, you just have to do what is necessary to live your life. Volunteering is definitely near the bottom of my ever-growing list of what is necessary for me.

By scott nielsen

July 9, 2007 1:14 PM | Link to this

Hi, my name is Scott Nielsen and I’m proud to be a volunteer at the GA Aquarium. I’ve been volunteering there since before they opened, and I have over 650 hours. My comute isn’t so bad, I live in Maggie Valley, NC. 3.5 hours drive. To me, it truly has and is a wonderful experience and I’ve learned so much. Not only to I get to work in all of the galleries, but I’ve had the pleasure of diving with the Beluga’s about 8 times and I’ve been diving in Ocean Voyager, (with the Whalesharks) about 75 times.

Volunteering at the GA Aquarium has taught me a lot of things but I would have to say that the main thing that I’ve learned is to listen. Listening is one of the main things the aquarium does with there guests and I too have taken this on.

Thank you Bernie Marcus for the wonderful gift that you have given Atlanta and the World. Scott

want to be a volunteer, go to www.georgiaaquarium.org and go to the volunteer section. It’s great !

By andy

July 9, 2007 2:42 PM | Link to this

I volunteer at the georgia aquarium and the 45 min drive isnt that big of a deal. The shifts are very flexable and it isn’t hard to carpool with other volunteers in my area. The staff there are excellent to work with and really appreciate our efforts. It’s an excellent opportunity to regularly enjoy the aquarium and to share with the excitement of those seeing it for the first time.

By Joeventures

July 9, 2007 3:26 PM | Link to this

Several folks here are clearly confused between “cause” and “correlate.”

Showing that there is a negative correlation between long-distance commuting and volunteer work is NOT the same as blaming traffic or commute times on Atlanta’s dismal volunteerism record.

But it does point to one of the factors affecting people’s decisions on whether they want to volunteer. Look closely, and you’ll find other factors, too.

By gloria

July 9, 2007 3:38 PM | Link to this

camille could you share the link to the website/newsletter you were referring to? if i won the lottery i would be doing volunteer work, no question about it. and Tank Girl you are extremely lucky to work for a company like that that actually gives back to the community. My boss would die before he let me have paid time off work to go do something good for someone else.

By Frazzled

July 9, 2007 4:50 PM | Link to this

Before I moved down here from upstate NY, I used to be involved in volunteer work such as baseball coaching and cub scouts. Since I moved down here, all of that has come to an end. Because of all the ‘home’ work required behind the scenes, I found I was staying up too late at night to get an adequate night’s sleep. The long commute I faced every morning required that I get up much earlier than when I lived in NY and this led to chronic sleep deprivation and ultimately a sleep disorder. Fearing I had sleep apnea, I underwent a sleep study and was prescribed Ambien to force me to get a good night’s sleep. I realized I had a choice: stay involved in volunteer work and depend on Ambien or give up my volunteer work and not feel like a zombie. The choice was easy and obvious. Since then, I’ve felt very bitter about having to give up on being involved with my kids’ activities. That’s why I plan on moving into the city after the kids are out of school. Maybe then I’ll be able to get back into the volunteer work I used to enjoy doing. The ridiculous commutes definitely affect one’s level of volunteerisim. I feel like a poster child!

By MiddleGA

July 9, 2007 5:00 PM | Link to this

Great point Joeventures.

By Gina Houlditch

July 9, 2007 9:24 PM | Link to this

Actually I drive a distance to Volunteer. I am a volunteer at the Ga Aquarium where I try to spend one day a week. I live in Gainesville so my commute is about 45 minutes to one hour each way. My husband and I car pool as he is a volunteer also. I think if an activity is important to you, you will work around schedules to be involved, commute or not. I also volunteer locally in Gainesville so I am involved in several areas.

By Camille

July 9, 2007 11:24 PM | Link to this

For those that do have the time to volunteer, I applaud you. However, it appears that some of the posters may not understand that if I don’t get off work until 5P, and then don’t get home until about 6P, that it is not possible for me to do any of the volunteer activities during the week that I would really like to do, like tutoring school-age children, or helping out during the day at local shelters, etc. I won’t even address the whole it’s my fault that I have a long commute, as it was not always that way. However, with working daily, my duties at home, my oldest son’s and husband’s extracurricular activities, and myself being a full-time graduate student (I didn’t feel like I needed to mention all of that before), I barely have enough time for myself, much less volunteering like I would like to. I used to do it before I started having kids, and know the rewards that it could bring for both me and the people that I was helping. I miss it, and want to get back into it, but I just have not had the time for it. I have started researching the various opportunities that are available for volunteering, and I am hoping to be involved within the next 2 - 3 months. I appreciate the links provided by previous posters. I had already reviewed those and found some things that I felt would be a good fit for me.

By Diana Strommen

July 10, 2007 12:27 AM | Link to this

Dear AJC,

Most certainly the factors of distance, traffic, and the fact that I work 50-60 hours per week have not discouraged me from volunteering for those causes I endorse.

Honestly, I question the accuracy of the statement that “Atlanta lags behind in the percent of residents who volunteer.” Is there change that this “statistic” reflects poor data collection? Does it consider the transient nature of Greater Atlanta? I may not be able to speak to those demographics with accuracy; however, I can tell you that I am aware of local residents who commute to volunteer as far as Chattanooga, and Birmingham.

Truthfully, volunteer opportunities abound in every corner of the world for those who are willing to give of themselves, and they begin in our own backyard. It only takes one person helping one person to make a difference. I see a lot of that happening in the Greater Atlanta area. Those statistics are not likely found in your survey.

As to my volunteer commitments, the 40-60 minute commute that is required might impact how many hours I can serve, however I will nonetheless clear 1000 volunteer hours by the end of this year serving the Georgia Aquarium, and probably have logged 10,000 hours volunteering in the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus.

Please don’t leave out the benefits that come with commuting! When I car pool to save gas, I have the privilege of enjoying the company of good people who share common values. If I commute solo, I enjoy local radio, great CDs, or use the time to gather my thoughts. Remember, mileage and parking costs relative to these charitable hours are deductible for those who itemize their taxes.

If you are one who does not have vehicle access or finds the cost of gas overwhelming, don’t hurt yourself! Check out your very own neighborhood for someone who needs a “hand up” on a project. Does your church have a list of shut-ins who would love your kind attention? Give the gift of time!

Get creative! Do you have a computer? Search for volunteer opportunities on the internet. Did you know that you can volunteer right from your own home? Contact the Georgia Aquarium to learn how you can be a part of the volunteer team remotely.

For those that don’t yet volunteer, start by pledging yourself just one hour per month to a community project or someone in need. It’s infectious. Whatever you do in the moment, feel good about the difference you can make every day in being an encouragement to someone. What’s “good” DOES “keep comin’ around.”

By Tank Girl

July 10, 2007 6:11 AM | Link to this

I’ve already posted on this topic, but something came to mind last night.

Volunteering is like working out. It’s something we know we “should” do but we often find excuses for not doing it - be it that we’re too tired, that we don’t have the time, that we have other things to do, traffic, etc.

There are many times when I’ve wished that I hadn’t committed to various volunteer shifts because I was too busy, tired, etc. However, in no time, when I’m at the Aquarium, all that fades away.

If you find a volunteer cause that you’re passionate about and enjoy - you’ll make time to do it because it feels good. It’s not something we “have” to do, but it comes back to you tenfold when you make the sacrifice. And the stress-relief from traffic just melts away.

By scott nielsen

July 10, 2007 7:43 AM | Link to this

Hi Camille, sounds like you have a pretty full schedule with your working, going to school, raising a family, and loving your husband. However if you do find the need and want to volunteer, the aquarium does have shifts that you could do. What’s nice about being a volunteer is you can pick the area that you would like to help out in. If you’ve had a rough day, once you get inside the aquarium and are around 100’s of smiling faces and 1000’s of fish, your mood changes right away. With your busy schedule, you may find it hard to work one or two 4 hour shifts in a month, but it sure is worth it. First, you will learn a lot and second, you feel better because you know you have helped someone out. I do it because it just makes me feel good inside to know that I’m a part of a place that’s truly wonderful!

Now let’s get back to the orginial post:

1. Would you volunteer more if you had more time? What prevents you from doing volunteer work?

Sure, I’d love to volunteer more and at more venue’s however, I have to earn a living so my job keeps me from doing more.

1. Where would you volunteer?

Well, I already volunteer at the Aquarium, but I’d also like to help out at the zoo, the High Museum, the Fox, Soup Kitchens,etc.

3.Ideally, what would you like to do to help others?

If I had the money, I’d like to do things like Oprah, Bill Gates, and the Bernie Marcus’s of the world and not only donate my time but money to help others and bring some peace to the world.

One World, Once Ocean, Let’s Protect It! Scott Nielsen

By tony

July 10, 2007 8:32 AM | Link to this

i want to do some volunteer work at strokers

By Lynn

July 10, 2007 12:45 PM | Link to this

I volunteer at the Georgia Aquarium once a week. I am married and work full time. The half an hour commute each way to the aquarium is worth it me to be able to contribute to such an awesome place. The aquarium’s volunteer shift times can fit into almost anyone’s schedule -I think. My commute to my job is short so my ‘carbon footprint’ is average. It would be great to have expanded transit!

By lynn 2

July 11, 2007 9:58 AM | Link to this

You call yourselves “Volunteering” with the time you spend at the GA Aquarium??? Give me a break. Why don’t you spend that time actually HELPING SOMEONE! That is what I think of when I think of volunteering. Not providing free labor to a place that charges ADMISSION and millions of people go! That place IS MAKING MONEY. They could be PAYING YOU. Please use your free time to actually HELP someone or something worthwhile, instead of being laughed at behind your backs for providing free labor to a very lucrative BUSINESS. And that’s beside the whole issue of whether or not the acquarium is cruel to animals or not…that’s a whole other issue. But saying that you “Volunteer” at the acquarium is weak, ridiculous, and actually offensive to those of us who actually use our time to help people and/or worthwhile organizations. This is disgusting to me. It’s fine to do this because it’s FUN and you ENJOY it. But don’t pretend you are doing any good to society as whole. You are not.

By LJC

July 11, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this

BRAVO lynn 2! Spend that time being a tutor..or serving in a soup kitchen. GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!

By Scott

July 11, 2007 2:23 PM | Link to this

I volunteer at Kroger every week! I think it’s an awesome place! The 30 minute commute is worth it to me. I get to push carriages and sweep aisles and listen to rude customers all day long, not to mention all the free plastic bags I want!. Kroger’s volunteer shift times can be adjusted to fit almost any unemployed person’s schedule too, just like the Aquarium. Good God! Volunteer somewhere that actually makes a difference, like the local hospital helping children w/ cancer or teaching people to read. Or being a volunteer coach for children’s sports somewhere. Sorry, the local fish tank don’t count; that’s just for neighborhood & blog bragging, period.

By Noelle

July 11, 2007 8:09 PM | Link to this

PKT, people who are “downsized” and have to change jobs are in the extreme minority among commuters in Atlanta. Most people choose to buy houses a long way from work, or choose to start new jobs a long way from home.

By Merle Henry

July 11, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this

I volunteer once a week at the Georgia aquarium. Though I try to choose a shift that doesn’t involve rush housr traffic, sometimes it can’t be helped. Sometimes it takes as long as 75 minutes to get there from my home in Acworth.

I simply plan for a long commute — I love the aquarium, and I plan to keep volunteering there.

My other volunteer jobs are a lot closer to home.

By greg

July 16, 2007 1:58 PM | Link to this

With Bernie Marcus donating the big bucks to build the Georgia Aquarium and all these folks volunteering at Aquarium to keep it running - where is the money from the outrageous ticket prices going???