Wow! To merely say that these past few weeks as the Volunteer Experiences Intern have been awesome and impactful does not do the experience justice. While I am still processing the entirety of what my work with Volunteer Odyssey means to me and for the future, I am excited to share a few things I have learned during my time with the organization.

When reflecting onthe various volunteer projects I participated in, I am taken aback by an idea that continually came up at events: service knows no borders. Even though racial, ethnic, religious, age, and socioeconomic differences often exist between volunteer parties, people do not let their personal backgrounds or biases keep them from serving others well. The overarching realization that all people go through times in which they can serve as well as times in which they need to be served allows sentiments of connectedness and acceptance to persist. In a city as diverse as Memphis, it is continually refreshing to see people from all walks of life working together to uplift each other and make a positive impact on the community.

A second thing I discovered during my time at Volunteer Odyssey is how willing people really are to give back to their community. During my volunteer outings, I repeatedly heard phrases such as “teamwork makes the dream work” and “small acts of service compile to have a huge impact.” Knowing how impactful their volunteer work is, especially when combined with the service of others, people are excited to share their gifts, abilities, and talents in the Memphis area and beyond. 

Seeing this fervor, I realized just how appreciated the VolunteerCompass platform through Volunteer Odyssey is in regards to bridging individuals with service organizations. When I first began my internship, I was able to plan three weeks-worth of volunteer work in a few minutes through VolunteerCompass. The positive experience I had in quickly finding a variety of volunteer opportunities through the platform is a sentiment I found that others echoed. The variety of social enterprises VolunteerCompass displays allows people to register for volunteer work in a few short steps and jump into the service they are so willing and excited to perform.

While in the Volunteer Odyssey office, my eyes were opened to just how much diligence and intentionality goes into the work staff members complete. Because there are multiple moving parts within the organization, each employee’s contributions to the group are valuable and important. Tasks such as writing the monthly newsletter, keeping social media platforms up-to-date, working to improve the VolunteerCompass platform, and building positive relationships with volunteers and organizations, require dedication and are key to the success of Volunteer Odyssey as a whole. 

Though my internship taught me just how taxing it can be at times to fulfill all of the responsibilities of running a small non-profit organization, I also learned how grateful the community is for the work Volunteer Odyssey does. Because Volunteer Odyssey is so intentional about networking with potential contacts, reaching out to the individuals using their services, and listening to feedback, both volunteers themselves and the philanthropic organizations volunteers connect with greatly benefit from the organization’s impact. As a result, the ladies on staff continue to work diligently and efficiently, knowing that what they are doing is reverberating for the benefit of the community.

With all of this being said, Dr. Sarah, Rebecca, Nikole, and Caroline–thank you for allowing me to jump on board and be a part of this journey with y’all! I am extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to peer into the world of small non-profit organizations, learning both about Volunteer Odyssey and the organizations and volunteers who inspired its creation in the first place. I look forward to seeing how the scope of the organization’s impact grows and positively influences those in the Memphis area in the days ahead. 

Lastly, to you, the reader–thank you for joining me on my Summer Odyssey! I hope to see you in the Memphis area, possibly at a volunteer project, in the near future!