A personal journey of volunteerism.

Abstract

AbstractVolunteering one's time and expertise is more than simply 'giving back,' paying off a debt owed to others. Although we contribute to the well-being of our communities and our profession by serving others, we also receive in return many benefits, including, among others, acquiring new knowledge, developing new skills or honing existing ones, networking, advancing one's career, and making new acquaintances and friends. I share here a few anecdotes from my journey taken thus far into volunteerism in the hope that others will be inspired to develop partnerships with their communities to the benefit of all involved.Keywords: community service, public service, voluntary and community sectors, volunteerismResumeOffrir benevolement son temps et son expertise, c'est plus que simplement « redonner » ou « faire sa part ». S'il est vrai que le benevolat permet de contribuer au bien-etre de la collectivite et de sa profession, en aidant les autres, le ou la benevole tire de nombreux avantages : elargissement de ses connaissances, acquisition ou perfectionnement de competences, reseautage, avancement de sa carriere et nouvelles connaissances et amis. Je vous fais part ici de certains episodes de mon cheminement dans l'univers du benevolat dans l'espoir d'inspirer quelques personnes a etablir des partenariats au sein de leur collectivite, au profit de toutes les parties participantes.Mots-cles : service communautaire, service public, secteurs benev- ole et communautaire, benevolat.As psychologists we share a broad base of knowledge and skills that are essential to function competently as professionals, regard- less of our individually chosen area of specialization. Many of us have learned in our education and practical training a great deal about human behaviour, individual differences, research design and methodology, data analysis, the identification and treatment of psychological disorders, organisational behaviour, partnerships in its many forms, and about other areas too many to list. Whereas our knowledge and experience serve us well in our professional work, sharing it freely with individuals and organisations in our communities can be of considerable value to others who do not have our background. Most of us engage in personally satisfying and well-paying jobs, a result not only to the efforts we have put into our own training but also of the efforts of those individuals who went the extra mile to promote our success. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to compensate everyone who has in one way or another helped us along the way. Although the desire to give may be the most fundamental and common reason for volunteering one's time to public service, it is more than just doing a good deed. It is the satisfaction of paying back with our readily available and highly regarded currency of expertise an incalculable debt owed to many who have contributed to our development, both professional and personal. It is also to realise the many additional benefits that are associated with volunteerism.Reflecting on her service to the Canadian Psychological Asso- ciation, which earned her the CPA John C. Service Member of the Year Award of 2012, Jennifer Veitch (2013) noted in her essay both the indirect and direct benefits of disciplinary service. Indirect benefits come from participating in associations that act to advance our discipline and profession, whether one chooses to pursue membership on a board of directors, become a member of a convention organizing committee, or organise a professional work- shop, to name a few. One can also promote the development of the profession by reviewing article submissions to a journal, supervis- ing students in their applied training, participating on any of several committees legislated to govern the practice of psychology, or sitting on a board of a local hospital, mental health association, children's aid society, or the local chapter of a special interest group, such as a learning disabilities association. …