Oftentimes when we hear the word volunteer we think we are headed to a food pantry, going to help fill sandbags, go on a mission trip, or maybe volunteer at a community or church event. Whatever it is, it is an opportunity for us to serve those around us… When we volunteer, it a time we give of ourselves, our time, and our money, and our personal gifts…
AND… most of us, expect that to be without any form of return, other than the rewarding joy the experience of serving brings us.
So… what is a volunteer?
Here is the definition of Volunteer:
A person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.
OR
A person who works for an organization without being paid.
While this is true for most volunteer positions, there are many volunteer positions that provide a form of compensation. This will typically look like living expenses, stipends, & reimbursement of many other necessary life expenses. This is exactly how Camphill works with their volunteers. We value YOU & the work you do while living within our community at Camphill.
Maybe you’re thinking, “I have a family to care for,” or, “I am about to graduate college, I need to dive into real work, I don’t have time to go volunteer & just get by.” If this is you, please don’t stop reading yet.
There is so much purpose in choosing to spend a portion of your life doing this kind of service work. Many individuals often approach this as a gap year or experiential growth year. Have you read our blog post about Taking a Gap Year at Camphill Village yet? If not, I suggest, you pop back and read it. You can do so by clicking here:
Taking a Gap Year at Camphill Village
The 2 biggest reasons to come to Camphill are:
To learn to love & serve others well.
To take strategic time to grow, learn, gain experience, & get to know oneself better. Studies show that those that do this, will all in all have a happier career life, well, just a happier life.
People who come to Camphill to volunteer come for as little as 6 months to a year or sometimes long-term, potentially for the rest of their lives.
The individuals that choose to volunteer long term at Camphill obviously embrace Camphill as their lifestyle. Bill & Laura were able to not only raise their children, but also send them off to college, & now retire through their work within the Camphill Communities.
Tamas - also known as Tomi shared with Country Acres, one of our local newspapers, that this is a beautiful way to raise his boys. Not only do his children get to live & do life alongside individuals with various degrees of abilities, BUT they are ALWAYS warm, safe, sheltered & fed. This brings such security for his family.
Volunteering at Camphill is hard yet rewarding work. Dominic described it as one of the most exhausting things he has ever done, yet not in a bad way, but in the most amazing way.
Here is what a weekday in the village may look like:
7:30 am - 9:00 am
Get ready for the day and breakfast
This may include helping those with disabilities get ready, making the breakfast meal, and more.
9:00 am - 11:30 am
Morning Workshops
Volunteers assist or lead workshops
12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Lunch & Rest Time
Although this is labeled rest time, volunteers may not always ‘rest’ - sometimes they may be preparing for a workshop, taking someone to an appointment, taking care of things in the house, or other things.
2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Afternoon Workshops
Volunteers assist or lead workshops
6:00 pm on… Dinner & open time for the rest of the evening
Again, a volunteer may continue with caregiving needs, going out on outings, house clean up… until bedtime.
The time at Camphill as a volunteer will be a huge opportunity to get to know your capacity for serving those around you, caring for yourself, and for building character traits that will carry you far in life & in your career.
Those who volunteer come from ALL over the world so you have an opportunity to learn from & alongside those with different backgrounds. This helps you develop stronger communication skills & an understanding of different cultures.
Countries present in this picture: USA, Korea, Hungary, Brazil, Germany
All of our volunteers must go through an application & interview process to join us at CVM. It’s very important that each volunteer that joins our community is passionate about what we stand for, everything else can be taught. That being said, it’s also extremely valuable that each volunteer is also very teachable. A willingness to grow & learn is absolutely necessary.
Applying to be a volunteer is a simple process.
First you want to head to: https://www.camphill.org/communities/camphill-minnesota/
You can also find this link on our website www.camphillmn.org under the Join Our Community page.
Once your application is complete, you will receive an email either to schedule your interview or let you know what we are unable to move forward. Kristin, our Volunteer Coordinator handles all of this communication as well as the initial interview.
If you interview with Kristin, she will review your interview & application with her team. After that, she will reach out to you.
If we know it will be a good fit for you & the Village, the process of getting you to Camphill begins.
We are always accepting applications for House Leaders, Garden/Land Team Members, Live-In Volunteers, and Summer Land Interns. If you are interested in volunteering with us for a gap year, sabbatical, or just a season… we’d love to hear from you.
For any questions about volunteering, please contact Kristin at volunteer@camphillmn.org
