Busy Life? Finding Time to Volunteer

By Ashley Pressman
Executive Director
Jewish Volunteer Connection

Emails. Meetings. Emails. Phone Calls. Reports. Urgent Requests. Emails. Emails. Emails.

Does this sound like your day? As a business working professional, days can become a whirl of deadlines, requests, lunch meetings, and a jumble of critical tasks in our increasingly fast-paced work environment. How can we find time to fit in one more thing? More important, why would we want to?

When it comes to volunteering, I’d like to suggest that we do want to – or rather, that we need to for our own mental and physical health and for the health of the community.  Volunteering is a great way to spend time with friends, to share your values with your children and to get a different perspective on the world.

But how do we fit it in?

Here are some tips to help the busy working professional who wants to volunteer but can’t find the time.

• Find Your Passion – How do you spend your free time? Do you cook? Make casseroles and deliver them to a local shelter. Do you like to garden? There are so many volunteer opportunities – find one that fits your interests.
• Think About Your Skills – What is your career? Many organizations are seeking pro bono volunteers. Dentists, lawyers, financial professionals, and marketing experts are all needed at organizations in the Jewish community. Do you have a skill that you want to develop? Volunteering can be a great way to develop skills as a handyman, in tax preparation, and as a healthy cook.
• Identify Your Priorities – Why do you want to volunteer? Is it to give back to the community? To network professionally?  Because you want your children to learn about the value of service?  Find a meaningful project that works with your schedule. Join colleagues or friends and volunteer together. Check out these family friendly volunteer opportunities>>
• Figure Out Your Schedule – When are you available? Is your free time between midnight at 2:00 a.m.?  If your schedule changes every week, find an opportunity with a flexible schedule like becoming a mentor with Big Brother Big Sister at Jewish Community Services.

Still don’t think you have the time? Ask yourself this. Did you find the time to watch the Orioles in the playoffs this year?

We find the time to do the things that are priorities to us.  Making the community a better place can be one of those things. Try it today and see the difference a gift of time can make!

Get started now with opportunities available through Jewish Volunteer Connection>>

For more information, email volunteer@associated.org or call 410-843-7490.

Check out these online volunteer opportunities by selecting Micro Volunteering>>

Overcoming Barriers to Employment

By Mary Blake
Senior Manager, Career Services
Jewish Community Services

Searching for a job in this current economic climate is still not easy, but if you have special needs, the job search could feel like climbing Mt. Everest. The unemployment rate in Maryland remains close to seven percent, but the rate is often double if you have any additional challenges.

Finding accurate statistics on the current unemployment rate for persons with special needs is hard since it can be difficult to determine who fits in this category. A person who wears glasses or a hearing aid could be considered disabled, as could someone who uses a wheelchair or has Down Syndrome.

But what about those individuals with invisible disabilities? Mental health issues like depression and anxiety or learning disabilities like dyslexia and attention deficit disorder may not be readily apparent. But it can make finding and keeping a job more challenging.

If you do not have any barriers to employment, you might not realize the additional work it takes for a person with special needs to compete. Many struggle silently and alone which can make matters worse. Depression can affect anyone who remains unemployed and underutilized for too long. For those with obvious challenges such as impaired speech, you can imagine the added anxiety an interview creates.

Others struggle with whether to disclose a disability that is not initially obvious to potential employers. Even though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted over 22 years ago, many individuals still worry that employers will discriminate against them — and with good reason. There are many unanswered questions about what is an “equal playing field” when it comes to finding the best person to fill a position and what constitutes a “reasonable accommodation.”

If you are a job seeker with special needs, you must focus on your skills and strengths and identify the essential qualifications for the job. Unfortunately, many people who do the pre-screening or initial interviewing at companies do not have a clear understanding of what is most needed to be successful in a particular position. That is why it is important to reach the person who actually supervises the position or makes the final hiring decisions. That supervisor is most concerned about finding someone who can do the job well and independently.

To identify the person in charge, you can search LinkedIn by employer and department and look for managers’ names and job titles. You can also consult a Career Coach, who can help you with that process.

Luckily there are many public and private resources that can be of assistance. In Baltimore these might include local governmental agencies such as:

• Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)
• Unemployment Office (DLLR)

There are also not-for-profit organizations that can assist you:

• Jewish Community Services Career Services
• Maryland Works, Inc.
• Association of Persons in Supported Employment
• Maryland Disability Law Center

Once you contact the organizations you should be prepared with a few key questions. Make sure to take clear notes that you can refer back to later. There is a lot of good information, but it can become overwhelming if you do not stay organized.

This is also true for your job search. A clear plan and organized search can make a big difference in targeting the best employers and jobs for you. There are jobs available and many employers are hiring for multiple positions, so it is important not to give up. If you stay motivated in your job search, your hard work will pay off!

Learn how a JCS Career Coach can help individuals with developmental disabilities define and achieve their career goals>>

For more information, call 410-466-9200.