returning soliders from Iraq & Afghanistan want to volunteer back home
08:16, 8 January 2010
.. Posted in Volunteerism and Volunteer Management.. Link
According to a new report from Civic Enterprises, an overwhelming majority of soldiers who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan would like to volunteer when they return from their tours of duty, but many of them feel disconnected from the communities they return to.
Funded by Target and the Case Foundation, the report, All Volunteer Force: From Military to Civilian Service (44 pages, PDF), found that 89 percent of veterans said other Americans could learn something from their example of service, though only half considered themselves leaders in their communities as a result of their military service. At the same time, 69 percent of veterans said they had not been contacted by a community institution, local nonprofit, or place of worship after they returned home and roughly the same percentage said they did not have enough information about meaningful service opportunities.
How can nonprofit organizations in the USA reach these veterans as potential volunteers?
- Visit your local military recruitment office in-person and let them know you would like to connect to returning soldiers about volunteering opportunities in the area. They will have at least some ideas for you on how best to do this in your area.
- Contact your local VFW association and American Legion offices. A phone call or in-person visit may be better than email. Be ready to call or visit more than once to make the right connection. See if they would allow you to post volunteering information in their meeting space, if they have an email newsletter they send to members which could mention your volunteering information, and if they think an in-person presentation by you at the VFW site would be well-received.
- Contact your nearest chapter of the USO.
- Contact local communities of faith, not only with announcements about volunteering opportunities but an invitation specifically for veterans with service in Iraq or Afghanistan.
- Call a reporter at your local newspaper (if you still have a newspaper serving your community) and a reporter at your nearest TV station, tell them about this report and encourage them to do a story about the report and how to reach veterans in your area.
As with any potential volunteers, make sure all potential new recruits understand your screening and orientation processes -- not just what they are, but why they are -- and that not everyone who wants to volunteer will get to (and why that is). Be ready to refer those who aren't a good match to your organization to your local volunteer center, VolunteerMatch and Idealist to look for other volunteering opportunities.
