By Jen Fuhrman, GPG Blogger/Board Member
Coming on board with GPG, one of my main focuses with the organization is to focus on structuring and growing our volunteer program. I’ve been working hard in conjunction with our Executive Director, Jamie Case, and we’ve come up with some excellent ideas to nurture our current volunteer base and expand it.
At Gateway Pet Guardians, we’re the first to say that, without our volunteers, we would simply not exist. We have an incredibly hard-working team that lives and breathes Gateway day in and day out, but they’re not able to do their jobs effectively without the dedicated volunteers who have their backs!
Here’s some of the ways we’re working to make your volunteer experience the best it can be:
1. Structure: We know that some volunteers work best when they know exactly what to do, how to do it and who to report to. That’s why it’s important to have volunteer coordinators in place who can effectively communicate with volunteers and motivate them in a positive manner. We’ll be working to bring in more coordination with our events and our volunteer communications to ensure that every volunteer’s experience is fun and effective.
2. Growth: Strength in numbers, right? We’ll be working hard behind the scenes to not only bring in new volunteers, but make sure they stay involved so that our current volunteers don’t feel burned out. By increasing our volunteer base, we’re creating a solid community that can build a fantastic network. Gateway volunteers go above and beyond in so many ways, so when they need a break or can’t commit to a task every week, we want you to know that someone else will be there to cover it!
3. Volunteer Appreciation: I just can’t say it enough: our volunteers are the bread and butter to our organization! We want you to know how important you are and how much you are loved for what you do. We already offer a few volunteer appreciation opportunities such as free Cardinals tickets and our volunteer awards, but without giving too many details, mark my word that our volunteers will really start seeing the perks of giving time to Gateway!
4. Feedback: Listening is such an important aspect in how successful an organization is and can be. That’s why we want to hear from you! You are the people that are on the ground, making things happen. With your feedback, we’re able to continually improve and build on our volunteer program. Please contact me and let me know how your volunteer experience has been – whether good or bad – so we can make sure we keep doing the things that made it awesome and improve on the things that didn’t work.
Do you have some thoughts or suggestions that would positively impact our program? Tell us! Please feel free to email me (Jen!) directly at volunteer@gatewaypets.com.
If you’re not already involved, please head over to the volunteer section of gatewaypets.com and fill out an application! We’re currently looking for additional volunteers in the following areas:
- Emergency Shelter Daily Shifts – Feed, medicate and socialize our shelter pups on a daily basis!
- Adoption Event Coordinators – Got organizational skills? Help us get our adoptable dogs exposure by volunteering to host an adoption event in your area.
- Animal Transporters – Our fosters can’t always make it to GPG events, so we’re always looking for people who are willing to pick up animals from their foster homes and bring them to GPG events, then return them to their homes when they’re over.
- Administrative Tasks – We are always looking for reliable volunteers to help us with record keeping, data entry and general organizational needs.
I look forward to hearing from you!
For more information about Gateway Pet Guardians Volunteer Program, visit our volunteer page.
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