The other day my children were riding their bicycles home from school when my daughter fell and skinned her knee. Her big brother helped her home and then we washed the wound and applied band-aids. I say band-aids because unlike a cut, a scrape covers a wider area and one band-aid just wasn’t enough. A few hugs and kisses later and the tears were gone and her life got back to normal (as did her brother’s attitude.)
Humanitarian work is much like this skinned knee but on a much vaster scale. Typically, after a crisis, various governmental, military and ngo groups rush to the area to provide humanitarian relief. These groups are charged with saving as many lives as possible with the funds with which they are entrusted, and so they concentrate those resources at the places where the maximum good can be done. Field hospitals are set up, feeding programs are put in place, vast camps are built to provide shelter, and many people are helped. All of this is good, but it is not the entire picture.
Each of these is what I call the “Big Band-Aid”, a strategic placement of resources so that the maximum number of people can be helped. This usually succeeds in meeting the vast majority of needs, however it is in the minority needs that this model breaks down. In every crisis there are people who for various reasons are not covered by the “Big Band-Aid”. Some are geographically remote, living in villages high in the mountains and cannot reach the city. Others are physically present but face different obstacles such as race, religion, disability or poverty that prevent them from receiving the help that they need.
The problem is that for each of these different groups’ needs to be met it would require as many resources or more than it took to meet the needs of the majority. Like my daughter’s skinned knee it would take three “Big Band-Aids” to entirely cover the area at three times the cost, even though numerically only a fraction of the population are being served.
This is where volunteers matter most. A relatively small number of volunteers can be deployed to multiple areas at a much lower cost and can even be more effective than a large-scale program that costs millions of dollars. Because volunteers bring passion and creativity to their work, they are able to both recognize the special needs of minority groups and adapt creative solutions to meet those needs.
I remember working with a small team of volunteers to help an elderly man clean his home after a large earthquake in the countryside in Japan. We arrived after the inspectors had placed a yellow card on his home (meaning that it would require extensive repairs) and found him in a state of despair. His wife had been in the hospital and was scheduled to return home, but of course now would not be returning any time soon. As we cleaned his home, he held his head in his hands and lamented that he would never be able to repair his home before he died. One of the most discouraging things for him turned out to be that his television wasn’t working. Without his wife, the television was his only friend and of course without the news he was fearful and alone. In a few minutes of tinkering, we discovered the problem with the antenna and had the set fixed and what a difference it made! The elderly man was all smiles and couldn’t thank us enough.
Scenes like this happen all the time when volunteers give of their time and effort to help those who are hurting. It does not have to cost a lot of money and even the smallest things can make a huge difference in the lives of those who are helped.
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RT @RichBassett: Excellent!!! RT @operationSAFE: "The Big Band-Aid: Why Volunteers Matter" http://om.ly/hxoE – Plz comment and RT!
Excellent!!! RT @operationSAFE: "The Big Band-Aid: Why Volunteers Matter" http://om.ly/hxoE – Plz comment and RT!
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RT @operationSAFE: "The Big Band-Aid: Why Volunteers Matter" http://bit.ly/6IJ7Nh – you can make a difference!
RT @operationSAFE: "The Big Band-Aid: Why Volunteers Matter" http://bit.ly/6IJ7Nh – you can make a difference!
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Well said Jonathan. Caring is all about the passion, and almost putting oneself into the other person’s shoes. It is the little things that make a big difference.
Its a single gesture that can change the course of someone’s life. Its a single smile that can show someone you care and its that bandaid that brings a positive change whether receiving or giving. I only wish that it did not just take disasters to remind the world to bring out their packets of bandaids.
Your words ring so true. Volunteerism is so important from helping a neighbor to helping in Haiti, every little bit of time given makes a huge difference.
“Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light.” ~ Norman B. Rice
Best wishes & blessings to you.
Such amazing work you do! So proud to call you my friend. The inspiration you provide on Twitter motivates us all, to do and volunteer all we can. Thank you…. Bella
.-= Bella´s last blog ..Maryland Zoo partners with the B&O Railroad, Maryland Science Center, and Port Discovery for the Months of January and February. =-.
OperationSAFE is currently working on a project to help a remote mountain community in Haiti with 300 children. We provide care for children who have experienced emotional trauma and teach them how to overcome. More news in the coming weeks as the situation unfolds.
Jonathan
Once the world loses interest in Haiti – "The Big Band-Aid: Why #Volunteers Matter" http://bit.ly/6IJ7Nh | RT @operationSAFE
RT @CherishAllWomen:@operationSAFE: Once the world loses interest in Haiti – "The Big Band-Aid: Why Volunteers Matter" http://bit.ly/6IJ7Nh
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Such great work! RT @operationSAFE: "The Big Band-Aid": Why Volunteers Matter http://bit.ly/8S91rJ
On it now !!: )RT @operationSAFE: @CiaoBella50 "The Big Band-Aid: Why Volunteers Matter" http://bit.ly/6IJ7Nh (Love to hear your comments!)
Twitter: LovesCafe
says:
Loved your post on How volunteers play an important role in times like these #Haiti I believe you have a very good point by saying that the Gov andvrescue teams only cover the basic needs (for a while) or while the $ is still availabe but after that it becomes more difficult for the rest of the population to get help and the people that need the most help are the poor the elderly and children. If Haiti is going to survive this disaster they’re going to need international help not just from the UN and USA but from every citizen around the world. Haiti will need help both financially (billions) and emotionally and that can only be covered through prayer people that care enough to volunteer and give of their time to help others. God help Haiti and it’s people
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Great post we’ve all needed or given band-aids and Together We Can All Achieve More! Please let us know how we can help. Saying prayers for all affected
What a wonderful reminder to us all to try and do our part – no matter how small that part may be – it makes a difference. Thank you. Be well.
Wonderful post on how important small teams of volunteers can really make a difference in people’s lives.
Volunteers are a must in any catastrophic situation. In Hurricane Katrina, Best Friends Animal Society organized numerous animal rescue groups from all over the U.S. to aid the animals and it worked wonderfully. They worked tirelessly for months rescuing, feeding the animals, re-uniting them with their families and finding homes for the rest of the animals.
Volunteers in the Josh Groban Foundation/Grobanites for Charity work in small ways supporting an orphanage in Africa, giving blankets, beanies and totes to children in Shriners hospitals in the U.S., South Central Scholars in Los Angeles, Toys for Tots, Optimist Foster Kids to name a few. A little goes a long way.
Fantastic article Jonathan! Volunteers are so critical especially with more limited funds…I love social media like Twitter to find & connect passionate people with great causes they can help. Keep up the great work!
Michelle, I remember that quake in SF as well – we had just gotten CNN in Tokyo and I was riveted to the screen for an entire day as the whole drama unfolded. Thanks for joining the conversation!
When we all come together, beautiful acts of love can occur. We live in San Francisco, and still remember our big earthquake 20 years ago. Our hearts go out to everyone in Haiti and we will be sending our love.
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Helping Friendships Grow =-.
Wonderful post on the importance of volunteerism. My husband and I have tried to teach our children this lesson and have included them as much as possible in our volunteer efforts.
There is no better feeling than to know you’ve helped another person and made their life a little better.
.-= Tamara Walker “MomRN”´s last blog ..Happy New Year! New Year, New Shows! – Jan 04,2010 =-.
The attitude of the volunteer is very important! I often guest lecture at a university here in Tokyo talking about the heart of a volunteer.
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Great post my friend!
Volunteers are the life and blood of society. Without others willing to do what’s right for the community and other peoples, any society struggles to handle those that fall between the ‘gaps’.
Growing up we use to volunteer for a lot of different things. Some days it was hard because all we wanted to play but I remember how good it felt to help the elderly, to cut peoples lawns, to drop food off to people, to pray with people who couldn’t get to church, to play with children who had no family etc.
Volunteering is one of those special vocations which needs to be instilled when we’re young. It’s never too late to start, however, I believe it gives anyone a wider perspective on life and teaches us fundamental values of love, faith, respect, kindness, and hope.
When we break the cycle of thinking of how much we going to get paid to ‘help’ and ‘who will get the credit’ type of mentality, that’s when society will really push forward.
I have faith that this can happen one brick at a time.
.-= Iconic88´s last blog ..Iconic88: RT @mab397: Anyone want 2 Saturday BDO tickets? My friend is selling hers #australia =-.
Great reminder of how small acts of assistance can make all the difference. The global needs are so great that it’s easy to forget that one person, in one community, in one moment can have a tremendously positive impact.
Volunteers are important in any organization but especially in times of great need like you speak about. The important thing is to train & assist these volunteers so they are able to assist in any way that’s needed. I know sometimes it’s just making contact with people & letting them know where the help is that’s available. This person to person contact can bring a suffering person out of their sorrow long enough to find the help they need. Other times as you discussed the help is more immediate & the smallest thing (like the TV) can help a person get through the immediate trouble. The most important thing is to train the volunteers to handle any of these situations & come come with a heart full of compassion & empathy for the people who are struggling. Thanks for sharing this story.
Hugs,
Bill
.-= Bill´s last blog ..Chart a course =-.
The strongest heart is that of a volunteer "The Big Band-Aid: Why Volunteers Matter" by @operationSAFE http://bit.ly/6IJ7Nh
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