I recently heard
from a colleague who I hadn’t spoken to for a while. Though she lives on the
other side of the continent that is Australia we connected through online
forums on volunteer management and she published a few articles on our
profession which I felt were excellent. Sarah (Which is not her real name)* has
been a Volunteer Manager for years. Working in a well-known organisation I thought
she was thriving. Then I found out she had resigned at the start of the year. I
found out when I enquired that I had not seen her on forums or writing for a
while. Sarah told me that she had resigned and was considering a new career in
a new industry. I asked her why. Her short reply had me staring at it for
awhile
“I got tired
of feeling that I was invisible”
Why was I
shocked – after all I had often heard similar sentiments from people in the
sector. But I don’t think that anyone has described their position is such a stark
and awful way. I was also shock because I had seen what Sarah brought to the
profession with her writing, her support of others in the sector and how she
had built volunteer programs with flair and innovation.
“I got tired
of feeling that I was invisible”
It got me
thinking about the ups and downs in my career. There are days when I have felt
valued and supported and days when I have not. I have struggled with some who don’t
get the concept of Volunteer Management as a profession and I’ve had to argue
for ethics around volunteer management. I’ve written articles that people have
loved and also written some that people have strongly disagreed with.
But I’ve
never felt invisible. Empathy teaches us to walk in another’s shoes. I’ve tried
to remember times when I have felt ignored. They have existed and it’s not a
nice feeling. I tried to recall times I’ve felt unappreciated. Not a pleasant feeling
either.
But to feel
invisible?
How many more
people out there feel invisible in their roles? All because they have chosen to
work in this profession.
Sarah will
never be invisible to me. But it’s a reflection on the sector itself.
Because sometimes
I feel the volunteering sector is invisible. And when it’s seen – it is described
as nice and fluffy and the backbone of society and the lifeblood of
organisations. But where is our federal minister for volunteering? Where is the
financial support for our national peak and state bodies? Where is the…I pause
here. It’s a blog I’ve written a hundred times before.
And I will
still write them despite the commentators who say “well - what are you going to do about it?” and the “We
need solutions and not more articles” and “Nobody builds statues to the critic”
Yes I
remember those comments. I still see you. You are still visible.
2020
