International Volunteer Managers Day
By Alexa, the Zebra Centre’s Volunteer Program Coordinator
As the Volunteer Program Coordinator at Zebra Child & Youth Advocacy Centre, I get to work with people who choose to show up, ask thoughtful questions, and give their time because they want children, youth, and their families to feel supported. This International Volunteer Managers Day, I'm taking a moment to reflect on what my role means to me and how much it means to be a part of this team.
From the outside, my job might not look like anything fancy – lots of emails, answering questions, fine tuning our programs – but from where I sit, my role is the kind that helps us all change the world.
My path into volunteer management began similarly to many other volunteer management professionals – doing something completely unrelated with my time. I was working in wildlife rehabilitation, an arguably super cool job. My days were spent offering treatment and care to countless injured and orphaned wild animals, but at the end of those days, the moments I carried home were the ones spent with volunteers and interns who had joined the team to learn, improve their skills, and be able to give back in their own ways.
Quickly, I found a new appreciation for what I could do in my role. My purpose shifted from "how can I give back?" To "how can I inspire others to give back?" That's where my shift into volunteer management started. A position opened up as volunteer manager for the entire team of volunteers, interns, and compassionate individuals, and I jumped at the chance to follow my dreams of being the kind of leader that helps folks around them find their own passions.
Moving into child advocacy has given me another opportunity to work alongside the generosity, empathy, and compassion that first drove me to this line of work. I feel extremely fortunate that Zebra has given me a place where I can continue to inspire and be inspired by a team of incredible people, all working towards the protection of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
Being part of Zebra has deepened my understanding of what it means to show up for someone. In child advocacy, we cannot undo what a child may have experienced, but we can help shape what happens when they reach out for support. Every day our team chooses to listen, make room for a child's choices, and remind them through our actions that they matter. Being able to contribute to that, and to see our volunteers contribute to that, has given me a sense of purpose that I carry home at the end of the day.
I am surrounded by colleagues and volunteers who bring thoughtfulness, patience, and heart to work that asks difficult things of them, every single day. I am reminded of how grateful I am for the knowledge they share, the care they put into their decisions, and the ways they support one another. This community continues to reaffirm my choice to pursue volunteer management, and to keep shouting from every rooftop that the people who volunteer, the people who work at non-profits, the people who dare to care in our sometimes-scary world, are the people who are going to change it to be a lot less scary.
Thank you to my incredible mentors for teaching me how to lead, how to set boundaries, and that I never have to sacrifice human connection at work. To my colleagues for welcoming me and sharing your endless knowledge and kindness. To the many volunteers I have worked with, for not only making a difference and giving back to your communities, but for trusting me with a part of that journey and inspiring me along the way.
Happy International Volunteer Managers Day, this is the best profession in the world.