Understaffed Non-Profit Seeks Volunteers: SAAFE House Crisis Intervention - Essay Sample

Introduction

Evidence of organizations facing challenges while recruiting volunteers continues to spring up each new day. As a matter of fact, the culture of responsibility is more prominent in individuals who are more likely to volunteer for a task. One such organization that faces understaffing and has not been able to get volunteers is the Sexual Assault and Abuse Free Environment. SAAFE house, a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention, advocacy and support services that endow people who have been abused to seek new beginnings, seeks to reduce the staffing deficit by attracting volunteers. This paper shows how the organization can get volunteers to help them reach out to the community.

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Firstly, it is important to mention that the SAAFE house is both understaffed and underfunded. Despite running a resale store to help it receive donations, the money is not sufficient to cope up with the demands of the organization, which are many (Einolf & Yung, 2018, p.34). Funds are usually important in that the organization will need materials to give to those who are volunteering as well as those whom they are helping. The cost of coming up with such materials may rise with the increasing number of the beneficiaries, and the volunteers themselves.

Having said that, the most effective method of attracting volunteers to any organization is by the introduction of an incentive. In as much as people will volunteer to do a job and not get paid, adding something that benefits them encourages them to continue doing the job ("Youth Service America Mobilizes Young People," 2015, p.54). At the same time, they may also encourage others to join the movement because, at the end of the day, there are several advantages and opportunities they may stumble on. Therefore, SAAFE house needs to find a way of going the extra mile to get more volunteers.

Secondly, organizations have to keep in mind that volunteers may at one point or another get engaged with other activities that could possibly be paying. Moreover, the volunteers themselves could just get tired of doing work with no pay and decide to quit. In SAAFE's case, the managers have to constantly remind the volunteers the importance of what they are doing to the community as well as in their personal development (Einolf & Yung, 2018, p.75). Enabling them to see the skills they garner, the values acquired and the experience available while learning presents them with an opportunity to bring in their friends who could just be more volunteers.

Next, SAAFE as an organization has to reckon with the influence of social media. In a rapidly changing world, social media can be used as a tool to mobilize people to do something. The organization can create a social media platform where they showcase the services they offer and in so doing, attract young people who are the most active social media users. Having a few volunteers share their story on the internet can help attract more friends to volunteer. This method takes advantage of the peer influence friends to have.

Making volunteers part of the planning and organizing team is a good encouraging factor. Involving young people in decision making processes makes them to feel happy about the work they are doing and they will appreciate it ("Youth Service America Mobilizes Young People," 2015, p.50). The directors at SAAFE house would have to hold meetings and explain to the volunteers what they are trying to do makes them have a sense of belonging to the group. It would be rude if they took orders around from a boss and they may even quit the job.

Additionally, it is important to note that people love a little praise from whichever it comes from. Everyone loves to be appreciated every once in a while. Due to this, the organization needs to be encouraging to the volunteers in the manner in which they approach them (Einolf & Yung, 2018, p.78). In order to retain the few and attract more volunteers, SAAFE house may feel the need to make the worthy and important. To get people to volunteer for that organization, encouragement is a turn on for because it makes them feel like the organization cannot progress without them.

Finally, in order also to get more young people to work as volunteers, the organization needs to engage a diverse range of people ("Youth Service America Mobilizes Young People," 2015, p.46). By allowing people from different backgrounds, places, and audience to work, ideas are shared and bonds are created. These make them have the urge to continue coming to the organization to work. Young people like to integrate a lot and if you support them in doing this, they may not fail to reciprocate. Bringing more people into the conversation too can help spread the idea of volunteering for SAAFE house.

Conclusion

To sum up, the nation is developing and many people are forming associations daily. More attention has to be given to organizations such as the Sexual Assault and Abuse Free Environment houses which seek to better the living conditions of those who have been affected by violence and many more. Creating a safe haven by such organizations need the most out of every hand and by volunteering, much can be accomplished. The issue of social cohesiveness is brought about when people do things in oneness; together.

References

Einolf, C. J., & Yung, C. (2018). Super-Volunteers: Who Are They and How Do We Get One? Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 47(4), 789-812. doi:10.1177/0899764018760400

Youth Service America Mobilizes Young People. (2015). The Volunteer Management Report, 20(9), 6-6. doi:10.1002/vmr.30194