Long-term volunteers are without a doubt the lifeblood of Christian Appalachian Project and the reason why the CAP Volunteer Program exists in the first place. But short-term volunteers, those who commit anywhere from three weeks to eight months of their time, play a very important role in CAP. They are the extra sets of hands during busy seasonal programs like Christmas Basket and School Readiness (pictured left). They take on special projects like writing grants or developing public relations materials. They make WorkFest possible by serving as crew leaders for teams of college students. And they fill in the gap when a departing long-term volunteer is not immediately replaced. They do all this without a stipend or other benefits that long-term volunteers receive—they serve in return for room and board and the knowledge that they are doing God’s will.
Short-term volunteering works for many people who want to serve in an in-depth way, but cannot make a long-term commitment.
“As much as I wanted to, I knew that I couldn’t commit a long period of time to volunteering, but I knew that I had gifts and a calling to help others that I could not ignore,” says short-term volunteer Amanda Breen, who has served at one of CAP’s spouse abuse shelters. “Short-term volunteering is a great option for those who are looking to share their compassion even if it is just for a few weeks or a few months.”
Amanda is typical of a short-term volunteer. She first served with CAP last year while she was taking a semester “off” from college, so she had a block of time available. Because the three-week minimum commitment makes short-term volunteering difficult or impossible for some, many short-term volunteers are retirees, people undergoing a career change or students and teachers on summer or semester break. The three week minimum ensures both that the volunteer can make a meaningful impact and that programs can minimize training time and concentrate on serving participants. But even as a two-month volunteer, Amanda recognized the challenge of making the most of her volunteer time.
“Short-term volunteers have a unique perspective within CAP because we know we have to use our time here wisely to learn and experience as much as we can in a short period of time.” Because Amanda felt she had more to share with CAP, she returned for a seven-week volunteer stint this spring.
Short-term volunteering is not for everyone, but it can be a great option for those who have a desire to serve but are unable to make a long-term commitment. If you believe God is calling you to be a short-term volunteer, contact us at volunteer@chrisapp.org. If work and family make short-term volunteering impossible right now, please keep our volunteers in your prayers. In the future, God may open the door for you to join the thousands of men and women who have come to Appalachia to give their time, but ended up having the experience of a lifetime.
