Action Providing service directly to individuals at the agency site or in the community. Examples include tutoring children, holding a party for residents of a nursing home, taking care of pets for people who are homebound, and serving meals in a meal program. Serving at an agency doing behind-the-scenes assistance, not directly with individuals the agency serves. Examples include making presents for patients at Children's Hospital but not working with the children, sorting food in a food distribution center, painting the exterior of a homeless shelter, and helping with a major mailing at a nonprofit organization. Serving on behalf of an issue, population, or community of concern, but removed from the actual site. Examples include raising money for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, doing a dance-a-thon, and making care packages for residents of a nursing home. The Center for Community Service and Justice tries always to listen to the needs of the community before committing to service projects or sites.
Keep in mind that everyone has a different comfort zone. While one person may be comfortable working one-on-one with children, someone else may feel quite uncomfortable with a service project that deals with children. Try and gain a sense of how much experience your group has doing service. Quality preparation will help to inform participants about the population you will be working with during the "Action" phase.
Choosing the best agency or project for your group is a critical step in making your service a worthwhile and meaningful experience. Learning about the agency's goals, expectations, history, philosophy, staff, and volunteers can help you select one that best matches your groups' interests, skills, and learning goals for the experience. Use this list of questions to help you gather information when you talk with the volunteer coordinator in each of the agencies you are interested in. What are the goals of the organization?
How long has the agency been operating?
Whom does the agency serve?
How many volunteers serve the organization?
Have any Loyola students volunteered here before?
What is the structure of the agency?
How is it funded?
How does the agency interact with the surrounding community? What type of work needs to be done that our group can help with?
What expectations does the organization have of its volunteers?
What type of service does the agency need? (direct work with clients, behind-the-scenes work)
Are there specific skills or qualities the agency is looking for in its volunteers?
What type of orientation and training will our group receive?
Who will be our contact person on site?
Must volunteers agree to a minimum commitment? Can we come only once?
Are the times our group can come flexible or fixed ?
Is public transportation available to the site? Is there parking?
Is there additional assistance required at certain times of the year, like holidays, when our group might be helpful?
What skills or qualities can volunteers develop as a result of working with the agency? These questions are merely suggestions. Each group will have specific needs; be sure to ask whether the agency is able to accommodate yours. Gather enough information to make an informed decision about where you would like to do your service project. Remember: you are going to help an agency or organization meet community-identified needs. Be sure to ask what needs to be done rather than simply informing an agency what your group wants to do! PARE Model and Group Facilitation Table of Contents Manual Table of Contents
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