Volunteering Does Pay Off

We often receive letters and phone calls from individuals hoping to find a job with The Vegetarian Resource Group. This makes sense since there are not many employment opportunities within the vegetarian movement. VRG staff presently consists of six full-time and three part-time employees. As you might imagine, we depend greatly on numerous dedicated volunteers to accomplish all that we do each year. Obviously, very few individuals applying for a job with this organization ever find one.

So, how can you increase the odds of landing a job that promotes vegetarianism? The answer is quite simple-volunteer first.

Throughout our history, The Vegetarian Resource Group has hired many individuals who have previously either volunteered or interned for a vegetarian, environmental, animal rights, or other nonprofit organization. Some activists have worked on a freelance basis before seeking permanent employment.

Volunteering for an organization serves many purposes. First, it allows you to determine whether or not you really would enjoy working in a nonprofit activist atmosphere. Not everyone is suited for this type of work. It's one thing to show up for a protest or potluck dinner when it fits your busy schedule. However, organizing an event or protest takes a huge amount of planning and work. Activities don't always run smoothly, and you have to deal with a variety of obstacles.

Volunteering also provides an opportunity for you to find out more about yourself, including your own strengths and weaknesses. When volunteering, you should do what you love, be dependable, utilize your skills and abilities as much as possible, jump on opportunities, and be realistic and honest. Many individuals hoping to find a job with VRG or other similar organizations are searching for community and want to feel like they belong to a common cause. One way to accomplish this is to first volunteer. Often we will learn of openings in other vegetarian-related organizations and businesses and will recommend individuals with the proper credentials, who have proven to be good volunteers as well. In turn, other organizations will recommend individuals when VRG has a job opening.

VRG offers an ongoing internship program for individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Some public schools require that students perform volunteer work and our office can offer youngsters an exciting learning experience. College students who intern with VRG may qualify for college credits doing an independent study project through our organization. Finally, we have dozens of members around the country helping with tasks via mail, fax, and modem. One Saturday a month, VRG sponsors Volunteer Day in our office. It's not uncommon to find as many as 20 volunteers showing up on these days. We'd be happy to put your skills to good use!