Meaningful Volunteer Experience
Creating meaningful experiences is a Pause program value that transcends experiences for not only families, caregivers and kiddos, but volunteers, too! Volunteers choose Pause for a variety of reasons - to further their professional career, to gain experience with kids who have disabilities, to fulfill club or organization service hours… the list goes on. Although our volunteers begin volunteering for a variety of reasons, we want them all to leave feeling a sense of purpose, accomplishment and impact so we focus on the experience created for them and even by them.
How does Pause do this?
We give volunteers voice and choice. Pause volunteers have full voice and choice as to where they want their time at Pause to look like. They can serve directly with kids, prepare the meal on the food team or even help prepare the activities prior to the event!
We focus on an extravagant welcome. Pause volunteers come back to serve with Pause because our team takes the time to get to know them and build relationships with them.
We encourage volunteers to help Pause continue to improve. After every event, we encourage volunteers to share feedback of the event and ways for Pause to improve next time. This helps us to continue experiences that our volunteers enjoy and gives them an opportunity to be a part of something they helped create.
When we can create meaningful experiences for our volunteers, they can help us further a meaningful experience for our kiddos. One volunteer who has excelled at this is Arushi! Arushi is a Mason High School student who found Pause last fall as a member of the Spanish National Honor Society. Arushi is quite academically focused, but in her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and watching movies/tv shows. Arushi absolutely loves traveling; she’s been to about 20+ countries and lived in three. #WOW Reading is another one of her favorites, she loves just escaping to different realities with a variety of different characters.
We asked Arushi to share her Pause volunteering experience with us!
Why did you choose to volunteer with Pause? Why do you continue to volunteer with Pause?
I initially chose to volunteer with Pause because I felt it was an interesting way I could earn some volunteer points, but I came to love it and enjoy the night (I usually do Friday Night Outs). I love the environment that the staff creates and hanging out with the kids is such a humbling experience. After my first night, I came home and told my parents how unique the experience was. I haven't heard of too many organizations like Pause and I admire the work they do.
What is your favorite part about volunteering with Pause?
A huge part of my great experience is being with the kids and getting to know them, but genuinely, I think my favorite part is the staff because they are the ones making the biggest impact by organizing the events and they give their volunteers so much love that it's hard not to come back the next week.
Do you feel like you're making an impact?
I feel I'm making an impact merely by being there because not only do the parents get a little time for themselves because of the volunteers, but the kids get a night (or day) to have a fabulous time with few worries.
Arushi - thank you for choosing Pause. You are creating lasting impressions on the kiddos we serve. Your commitment to Pause and your willingness to learn is inspiring! From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU.
This is CAN DO. This is COMMUNITY. This is YOUR SUPPORT.
