Having done volunteering challenges in the past, over the Easter Holidays I set myself the challenge of getting 20 hours in the first week, which I subsequently exceeded. I ended up getting 30 in the end and set myself the challenge to match this in the second week. Hence, it is actually a challenge to get 60 hours over two weeks. You will be glad to hear that I am currently on 52 hours and hope to get the remaining eight over the next few days. I think that it is important to set myself targets, however, from your point of view, some of them may be a bit mad to say the least.
The point of such challenges is so that at the end of the week, I can just say that I have done plenty of hours. It also gives me a volunteering journey to look back on, rather than just a list of when I did volunteering and how many hours. It's an achievement. It's also a way of keeping myself doing something, even if I have to look for something to do. As I have probably said in previous posts, I hate being bored so why not do volunteering or work when I can.
Okay, you might be thinking that I need some relax time, however, I get that at times when I need it and I am thankful to the wonderful Team V Mentors and Staff in helping me balance everything out. Nevertheless, I still like to not spend all day watching TV or on Facebook, unless there is something wrong. There's nothing constructive to take from it. If I'm going to do something, I always like to do something that will benefit me or my friends and that's why I do volunteering.
Despite this, there is an element of living up to other peoples records though. Compared to the Team V Mentors, my record of volunteering hours is a bit pathetic, however, this isn't what it's about. On the other hand, it is a record to try to live up to. Plus, I have been told that there is a new volunteering award coming for when you get to 500 volunteering hours so I'm hoping that by the time it comes, I might have almost reached it.
I'm currently on 366 hours overall and about 53 of those are since this time two weeks ago. It's quite weird to think that's humanly possible, according to my friends and family, however, it is. So there. Doing this now does actually mean that I only have about 7 hours to do over two days. It's not as bad as I first thought and if I was at Oxfam volunteering, I have done six and a half hours when I have been there over the holidays, so it's definitely possible.
In recent months, when I have been doing these sort of challenges, I keep hash-tagging my posts with #themadvolunteer because everyone thinks I perhaps am a bit crazy to try something like this, however, when you have two weeks off and lots of time to fill that would otherwise be spent on Facebook or watching Films and iPlayer, why not. So, I guess I'm not as mad as everyone thinks, however, I wouldn't say that I haven't doubted myself that I was going to reach it at times. On the other hand, I think it's best to just get on with it and see what happens.
The great thing about volunteering is that it keeps you doing something but for some strange reason, I keep getting minor cuts and bruises when I'm doing it. I don't mind but it just means doing things minus one finger for a bit. Anyway, it's nothing compared to the suffering that some of the people that Oxfam, the shop I volunteer in, help. It's all worth it in the end.
The volunteering I have been doing has kept me sufficiently busy and I have enjoyed it all. Unfortunately, despite the fact that I enjoy college, I will kind of miss doing full days at Oxfam. Not because they pay for your lunch but because it's so much more fun when you do it for longer. It's great to work with and have a laugh with all the volunteers and is just a really friendly environment to work in. Plus, you learn at the same time and as of Friday, I'll be able to get a qualification out of it (on the other hand, this is a bonus).
The great thing is that it's a good story to tell everyone when you get back from Easter Holidays. "So Robert, what did you do over the Easter Beak?"
Me: Well, I did 60 hours of volunteering, met up with a few friends and still managed to relax
Them: HOW?!?!?
This is of course a hypothetical conversation but that's how I imagined it would go (with a bit of exaggeration in there). Overall, this has been a bit of an adventure of two weeks, however, I have come out of it without being bored and with almost 60 hours of volunteering under my belt. What an experience and one that I will never forget (much).
The point of such challenges is so that at the end of the week, I can just say that I have done plenty of hours. It also gives me a volunteering journey to look back on, rather than just a list of when I did volunteering and how many hours. It's an achievement. It's also a way of keeping myself doing something, even if I have to look for something to do. As I have probably said in previous posts, I hate being bored so why not do volunteering or work when I can.
Okay, you might be thinking that I need some relax time, however, I get that at times when I need it and I am thankful to the wonderful Team V Mentors and Staff in helping me balance everything out. Nevertheless, I still like to not spend all day watching TV or on Facebook, unless there is something wrong. There's nothing constructive to take from it. If I'm going to do something, I always like to do something that will benefit me or my friends and that's why I do volunteering.
Despite this, there is an element of living up to other peoples records though. Compared to the Team V Mentors, my record of volunteering hours is a bit pathetic, however, this isn't what it's about. On the other hand, it is a record to try to live up to. Plus, I have been told that there is a new volunteering award coming for when you get to 500 volunteering hours so I'm hoping that by the time it comes, I might have almost reached it.
I'm currently on 366 hours overall and about 53 of those are since this time two weeks ago. It's quite weird to think that's humanly possible, according to my friends and family, however, it is. So there. Doing this now does actually mean that I only have about 7 hours to do over two days. It's not as bad as I first thought and if I was at Oxfam volunteering, I have done six and a half hours when I have been there over the holidays, so it's definitely possible.
In recent months, when I have been doing these sort of challenges, I keep hash-tagging my posts with #themadvolunteer because everyone thinks I perhaps am a bit crazy to try something like this, however, when you have two weeks off and lots of time to fill that would otherwise be spent on Facebook or watching Films and iPlayer, why not. So, I guess I'm not as mad as everyone thinks, however, I wouldn't say that I haven't doubted myself that I was going to reach it at times. On the other hand, I think it's best to just get on with it and see what happens.
The great thing about volunteering is that it keeps you doing something but for some strange reason, I keep getting minor cuts and bruises when I'm doing it. I don't mind but it just means doing things minus one finger for a bit. Anyway, it's nothing compared to the suffering that some of the people that Oxfam, the shop I volunteer in, help. It's all worth it in the end.
The volunteering I have been doing has kept me sufficiently busy and I have enjoyed it all. Unfortunately, despite the fact that I enjoy college, I will kind of miss doing full days at Oxfam. Not because they pay for your lunch but because it's so much more fun when you do it for longer. It's great to work with and have a laugh with all the volunteers and is just a really friendly environment to work in. Plus, you learn at the same time and as of Friday, I'll be able to get a qualification out of it (on the other hand, this is a bonus).
The great thing is that it's a good story to tell everyone when you get back from Easter Holidays. "So Robert, what did you do over the Easter Beak?"
Me: Well, I did 60 hours of volunteering, met up with a few friends and still managed to relax
Them: HOW?!?!?
This is of course a hypothetical conversation but that's how I imagined it would go (with a bit of exaggeration in there). Overall, this has been a bit of an adventure of two weeks, however, I have come out of it without being bored and with almost 60 hours of volunteering under my belt. What an experience and one that I will never forget (much).
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