4 covid friendly remote volunteering positions you didn’t know about
As we trudge forward into the one year anniversary since the first quarantine during the pandemic, many people have already acclimated to the recent challenges of these times. With businesses and schools reopening, the masses feel we need to start transitioning back into our “normal” lives. While this concept is much easier said than done, I’m here to reassure you that at least one critical part of every student’s life can still be accomplished even amidst lockdowns. Whether you need hours for a university application, experiences to list on a resume or simply have the time and need to help others, I’ve listed four categories of volunteering that can be done right from the comfort of your own home.
1. Technical work:
One of the most common categories of volunteering, both virtually and in person, is communicative/technical work. The general organizational tasks categorized under this label can be accomplished quickly after a single training period as most structuring systems for arrangement remain the same even among different workplaces, making the learning curve relatively minimal. Additionally, the majority of the workload resides in documents or paperwork that is often easily accessible online making more volunteering tasks in this position easily transferable virtually. A couple examples of communicative/technical work involve translation, research, writing and outreach. Volunteering for the United Nations provides the opportunity for all of the above and more. Not only is there a multitude of different positions and responsibilities currently accepting applications, but the simple database and filter system allows for customizability as you search through all the options. There’s a variety of possibilities to specify whether that’s by your priority continents to support or subcategories of the volunteering task itself like covid-19 response or project management as well as the option to filter by weekly hour commitments. By signing up in this program, not only are official changes being made through your commitment but the task you’ve personally chosen also develops your own skill. With the variety and flexibility available, you can take up volunteering positions that focus on skills you want to prioritize advancing. This enables for the volunteer to get a lot more out of the volunteering experience than most generic positions.
2. Apps:
A relatively recent addition to the volunteering world during the modern development of technology is through mobile apps. These convenient and accessible apps act as a great tool to connect the volunteer to the person needing help and many organizations have developed their own program to solve prevalent issues in the community. While some simple googling can give you an entire list of different organizations to suit your interests, two of the most popular volunteering apps currently are ‘Be my eyes’ and ‘Tarjimly’. The additional benefit of their popularity means there are many threads and reviews from participating volunteers and even tips which can be helpful for a nervous first time volunteer. ‘Be my eyes’ is a mobile app that pairs sighted volunteers with vision impaired people in need of help for everyday tasks. Once signed up as a visual assistant, anytime a low vision user of the app requests help for tasks such as choosing an outfit that matches or finding the right product in a fridge, a volunteer can respond in time through a video call. Another inspiring innovation is the app Tarjimly that connects refugees, asylees and immigrants, to support through remote multilingual volunteer translators. To improve the lives of those suffering from language barriers and increasing the efficiency of humanitarian services, volunteers will receive a notification whenever someone is requesting a translation for either texts, documents, voice calls or even live calls. Both these apps provide a huge amount of schedule flexibility as help requests can be accepted at any time of the day based on your availability and any request that is denied or not accepted fast enough is quickly filled by another of the thousands of volunteers on the app which eliminates any pressure or guilt one might feel for not having enough time.
3. Non-profit organizations:
Another accessible and fairly low maintenance option for those looking for volunteer positions is to apply as an unpaid worker for a non-profit organization. Many of these organizations are actually run by students themselves which allow for a very inviting community and new opportunities for making connections. Oftentimes the organizations themselves are also focused on a single issue so based on what subjects interest you, you can choose to join a group personalized to your pastimes whether that’s an environmentally concerned group or an organization that supports disadvantaged youth. This endless variety is especially helpful for those who need the volunteer hours but often have to sacrifice their own personal hobbies to do so as a result of limited time. By surrounding yourself with people who share these same passions and being assigned work that you’re genuinely interested in, the time will pass much more quickly and without hassle and maybe even be a fun way to spend your evenings. Another benefit to volunteering for non-profit organizations is that they’re often long term positions with low weekly time commitments since they’re usually filled with dozens of volunteers in that same position as you for each department meaning that each individual has less of a workload to complete. For example, sponsorship coordinators are integral to many non-profits as they are the ones who gather all the funding for the team to pay for holding events or giving away prizes as services. However this heavy workload is usually shared between twenty different people, so in the end, each person only needs to email about 5–10 businesses a week to ask for donations which takes less work than most other traditional volunteer jobs. Organizations looking for new volunteers advertise such on their instagram for a week or two prior to interviews so for those considering taking up an additional role, keep an eye out on all social media platforms.
4. Crisis lines:
Lastly, a slightly less well known but just as important remote volunteering career is for crisis lines. Many have the misconception that there are high levels of qualification for such positions and are often too intimidated to apply for a role as a volunteer for these organizations. However, many crisis lines provide their own training program once accepting an application and depending on the organization behind the help, the only qualification is being over 18. One of the big names in the service for online therapy is 7 Cups. This website provides support for those in emotional distress through the power of conversation and providing a safe space to open up. People can register to become a trained listener and after a brief active listening training program to develop skills needed to be of help to the user, they officially start as a volunteer. Participants are also given the option to list what topics they do and don’t feel comfortable listening to and discussing to make sure every volunteer never feels emotionally drained or distraught after finishing a shift. Another recognizable name is The Trevor Project which aims to support LGBTQ youth who are struggling with common issues like coming out, self-identity and heavy topics such as depression and suicide. Once completing a 40 hours online instruction course for preparation, a volunteer will be tasked with a three hour shift each week for at least a year which makes this a great option for those looking for long-term volunteering positions. During those shifts volunteers are most likely responding to chat messages as a crisis counsellor so abilities such as open communication and social skills are highly valued but most importantly, all it takes to volunteer for any crisis organization is empathy and compassion for those in emotional suffering.
The pandemic has been especially hard on everyone but those who were already in a disadvantaged position are even more so now with all these new obstacles. Those who are in a privileged position to have the time and energy to spare are highly encouraged to volunteer in any way they can. Even taking part in a position that requires only five minutes of work a day is greatly appreciated by those needing help.
About the writer: Raheleh Najafi is an incoming senior at Newmarket High School. She is starting her own path to one day becoming an ophthalmologist and as a result finds herself becoming more and more involved in extracurriculars fixating around medicine. Raheleh especially finds importance in clubs that offer transparency and accessibility to promote equal opportunity in the medical field and the process to post-secondary pathways. She continues to advocate for this goal as a member of PuMP (prospective medical professionals). In her free time, Raheleh enjoys writing, rollerblading, and journaling. To keep up with Raheleh, follow her on her LinkedIn!
