Articles

Sustainable Volunteers      by Alan Marsh
Every non-profit organization, including the WRSOS, functions only because of the work of its volunteers. That old adage, “too many things to do and no time to do them”, is a perfect description of life as a rehabilitator. As a result, the WRSOS is currently looking for as many volunteers as possible for a multitude of positions, most notably: pickup drivers, hotline workers, fundraisers, even people who are willing to volunteer a voice on the board, or create teaching programs for public education.

Typically, volunteers are used to supplement the roles that cannot be filled by staff because of restrictions on assets. However, in the case of the WRSOS, funding for any sort of staff position is entirely unavailable, thus, there are no staff members. Presidents, directors, board members and everyone else involved take the form of volunteers. The only reason anything is ever done is that people from the community donate their time to a society dedicated to helping injured wildlife.

But there is only so much the WRSOS’s small, recently established central core of organizers can do.

While the need for volunteers will undoubtedly always be high, it is especially so now with the society at a stage of relative infancy. Gathering a strong foundation of support now ensures a sound society in the future, enabling it to help more animals more effectively and efficiently.

Attracting volunteers is not an easy task, however, even for a society concerned with helping animals. Often, there are many people interested but few express the desire because they believe they lack the skills to help, or do not possess the free time they assume is necessary to contribute effectively. Unfortunately, these people realize neither how much their perceived small roles aid the society, nor how much they are directly helping the wildlife.
Two of the most essential positions requiring volunteers are hotline workers and pick-up drivers. Volunteering for the hotline only requires a couple of hours per week, if that is all you can spare. It may seem insignificant but these small contributions add up. Similarly, pick-up drivers function on an “on-call” basis, where the driver is only contacted when an animal is in need of transportation and only when that person is listed as available.

Both positions are also rewarding to yourself and the animals you help. It feels tremendous to know that because of your work on the hotline, an injured animal is going to be rescued, or, just as likely, that an animal seemingly in distress simply needs to be left alone, avoiding an unnecessary and potentially harmful human-animal interaction. These types of scenarios happen very regularly on the hotline, especially during the busy spring and summer months.

Pick-up drivers, as well, are extremely beneficial because although many members of the public wish to see an injured animal cared for, rarely do they have the time or ability to transport it to a place where it can be helped. Here, we rely heavily on those capable of driving to a wide variety of locations and bringing the injured animal to a place of treatment. The direct benefit to the animal is obvious here, as is the feeling of accomplishment one gets in this situation.

In short, your time, even the smallest fraction of it, directly assists the society and the animals it helps, and, as mentioned previously, there are many roles that aspiring volunteers can fill. The only thing further we would ask you to note is this: a person who is available when expected, who accepts and appreciates the role given, who performs the duties assigned with the same determination he/she would show if directly treating an animal, is the most desired and cherished of all volunteers. Dependability and commitment are the best attributes you can bring to the WRSOS.

The volunteers of this society are simply a gathering of good-hearted and passionate people, dedicated to ensuring the success of the shelter, gradually increasing its capabilities to help wildlife through circumstances they likely could not overcome without assistance. We would be honoured to have you a part of it.