Episode 12: Volunteering as a Vehicle for Change, Both Inside and Out with Katie Pfeifer
Join your host Betsy Bush as she speaks with Senior Director of Programs at Volunteer New York, Katie Pfeifer. They discuss how Katie began her career in volunteering, some of the differences in volunteering goals between generations, and how Volunteer New York acts as a sort of "dating matchmaking service" for those looking to volunteer.
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Transcript:
Betsy Bush (00:57):
If you were at a point in your life for your career, where you're feeling, you'd like to try something new, but not sure how to go about it. Or maybe you're feeling stuck in a job with no social impact. And you want to feel like you're making a difference. Well, maybe you should try volunteering. Volunteering is such an American thing to do. We have this nonprofit volunteer sector in our society where we help each other giving to the food bank, delivering meals to seniors, and shut-ins, helping out at the local library. The list goes on and on. And what every volunteer knows is that by helping others, you're helping yourself as well. My guest today is Katie Pfeiffer. She's senior director of programs at Volunteer New York! An agency in Westchester county that connects volunteers with nonprofit organizations,
Betsy Bush (01:57):
Katie. I'm so glad you're here with us today on the latest version. How are you doing?
Katie Pfeifer (02:02):
I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having me on to talk about this wonderful topic.
Betsy Bush (02:08):
Right? Well, as we know, we're coming out, it seems we're coming out of this age of COVID where we're, where we've been shut up and isolated and starting to reemerge and maybe reassessing a lot of what we've been doing with our lives all this time. Maybe a lot of us don't want to go back to the hour plus commute to a job where we didn't really feel like we were contributing or wasn't helping us feel like we were contributing and maybe it's time to look for something new or reassess how we're spending our lives. What do you think as a volunteer coordinator?
Katie Pfeifer (02:49):
Absolutely. it is a time of change for many people right now and really thinking about what it is that they want to do. I think a lot of people value the working from home and the chance to spend that commute time on things that they love, whether it's with their families or delivering food and helping and making phone calls to seniors who are at home in isolated or whatever that looks like. And so it really is a chance to explore different options.
Betsy Bush (03:17):
So at Volunteer New York! It's kind of like a, I don't want to say a dating service. It's got like a matching service where people who want to who are looking for opportunities to volunteer, but wouldn't know, you know, what is out there or available, or even how you would approach an agency generally would come to you for help. So explain a little bit how that works.
Katie Pfeifer (03:42):
Absolutely. And we sometimes refer to ourselves as a dating matching service as well. So it was okay that you did. We very much are helping people of all stages, ages, ability, levels, skill levels, figure out the great places to volunteer and helping the nonprofits. And the other side of that bridge, figure out how to get the volunteers that they need to do their mission. So we have an online database and you can look for any and all kinds of opportunities, one day opportunities, ongoing opportunities, any issue area that you're interested in there is a way to help and make a difference. And so really are, they're kind of making those matches for everyone.
Betsy Bush (04:20):
How many nonprofit organizations do you have in your, in your database and what kinds of organizations are they?
Katie Pfeifer (04:30):
We work with about 500 nonprofits in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam county. So just outside of New York city. But we're one of several Points of Light affiliates. They're a global organization, global volunteer connector organizations. So there's many, many organizations like us across the country. And one of the things that we do, you know, the different organizations we work with. So food, food, distribution programs, whether it's a soup kitchen or, you know, delivery and pantry tutoring programs, environmental programs working with seniors, the hospitals, the assistant living libraries. I mean, you name it, many of those organizations,
Betsy Bush (05:12):
You mentioned it, a nationwide agency and I'm not sure. I, I got the name there.
Katie Pfeifer (05:18):
Sure. so we are an affiliate of Points of Light. They are a national global organization and they really are about promoting volunteerism, civic engagement, and getting people involved,
Betsy Bush (05:30):
Someone comes to you say mid career, and I'm thinking, you know, fifties, maybe early sixties and, and says, I'm really looking for you know, I'm feeling stuck in my career, but I don't know how to get the kinds of experience I need to add to my resume, to burnish my resume a bit to be offered the kind of interesting opportunities I want. What is there some way that they can do that through volunteering?
Katie Pfeifer (06:03):
Yes, they can. So we actually have a program called job readiness through volunteerism, and it really is speaking to that point that you're making where it's a way to build your experience and try new things. And so we really turn and ask the person to think about what it is that they want to do or what they are considering doing. And we help match them to those opportunities. So someone maybe from a corporate background, he wants to switch and get into hospitals and working in healthcare will volunteer at a nursing home, volunteer at a hospital. Can I get a feel for what that is? Like, see the patient side, see the administration side, and then you can kind of say, you know what this is for me or, or no, I would rather do something else. And then we can make that match there too.
Betsy Bush (06:46):
No, I mean maybe, you know, we kind of idealize what it might be like to work in a certain setting. And then when you get the chance to volunteer, maybe it is. And maybe it's not, that's, it's kind of an interesting way to test the waters a bit.
Katie Pfeifer (07:01):
Absolutely. It is a great way to test the waters. And it's a way to try in a setting that is less pressure from, you know, leaving a job and going into a field that then you choose and decide you. Don't like so it's a way to test it.
Betsy Bush (07:16):
Oh, what about people who are moving into retirement? So they're looking not for a way to continue a career or move into another career, but it's really about, you know, this is my time for me to make a difference in my community. What kind of things do you think are open to them?
Katie Pfeifer (07:33):
Everything Is open to them. I mean, we see that with our RSP key members. So there are people over 55, right in this pool of people. And many of them, you know, we have some that want to continue in the field that they are. So we have people who had been in HR that continue to do job coaching and mock interviewing and this, and then you have other people who say, you know what? I did finance my whole life. I want to read the children and do tutoring. And so you have that mix of really picking what it is that, that connects and speaks to you. And it's okay to say no to something.
Betsy Bush (08:09):
I'm wondering if you can share some stories of some volunteers that you've worked with, who have moved successfully from one career to another, through volunteering or transitioned very well into retirement using volunteering.
Katie Pfeifer (08:24):
Yes. so one of the, one of the first examples that really come to mind for me is we actually had someone, she was a nurse and had been a nurse for 20 years. And she was looking to get out of nursing and into another field. And there are so many wonderful transferable skills that nurses have and they, they are a backbone of our community and she wasn't getting she wasn't getting calls and she wasn't getting interviews. And so when we looked at her resume, one of the things we noticed was that she was the manager of her co-op's pool. She was hiring staff, she's ordering supplies. She is setting the schedule. She was really managing and facilitating that, that system for 10 years. And it was a footnote at the very bottom of her resume. And so our advice was to bring that up in your resume, really highlight the skills that you were using and then that's project management skills right there. And so it was a successful, helpful transition into a project management role is one that's one example that comes up. And another one is that we've had some people who start out as they are semiretired, you know, they're, they cut back on what they're doing, and then they start volunteering and they take on more and more projects. So we have someone who is a tutor in a great program called JCI Westchester community partners. So working with an elementary school student on reading but he also is a conversation partner at WCC Westchester community college. So he's helping an ESL learner practice English and have just everyday kind of conversations. And, you know, every time we turn around it's okay, what else do you have for me? I want to do something else. I'm I'm I want something there. So really great opportunities to retire slowly and then figure out what you want.
Betsy Bush (10:12):
I would think something like being able to talk to someone who's learning English, who has had a very different cultural background from yourself that you learn a lot about that other person's journey to the United States and the place that they came from. I would imagine that's very enriching personally.
Katie Pfeifer (10:31):
Yes, it is. We'd like to say that, you know, volunteering is really, you know, people come to it to help other people, but in reality, they get more out of it than the other person does. And it really is a rich and rewarding experience. And so in that case, you get to learn about another culture, another country, and just how people interact and do and something you might not get to experience except for as a volunteer.
Betsy Bush (10:54):
I wonder if I saw on your website that you also have ways of recruiting board members for nonprofit organizations, and that's such a, it's kind of a rarefied area, because I think when people think of volunteers, it's kind of, hands-on packing food for the food pantry distribution, et cetera, but there's something about board membership that's very important. And yet it's something that is maybe a little obscure for a lot of volunteers who would really have a lot to offer, you know, to lead on nonprofit boards.
Katie Pfeifer (11:29):
Yes, you know, a lot of times people do think of those hands-on activities, but every single nonprofit needs volunteers. So they might not have an opportunity for hands-on service, but they need volunteer board members. And they really bring their, their financial and marketing and strategic thinking background to that organization and really help guide its direction and, and connect it. And one of the, I love that program that you mentioned, that's our board recruitment speed dating program. And it really creates a pipeline of different and diverse candidates for boards. Because sometimes boards will turn to people that they know. And so you end up with a lot of the same people who bring a lot to a board, but it is helpful to have different perspectives come in. And so being able to recruit people outside of your ordinary network is a really important and powerful thing.
Betsy Bush (12:22):
And maybe we should just explain that a nonprofit board is the governing board of the organization that really determines the direction of the organization and is in charge of its financial wellbeing and its legal wellbeing and, and all those other things that go on to go into managing a, a nonprofit so that it is successful as an organization from the top down. So even to hiring the executive director and I guess I don't know if you, if a board would hire senior staff, but they would hire the executive director, which is a very important role right there, because that person becomes the face of the organization. So Katie let's, let's talk about how volunteering has maybe made an impact in your own life. You must have some, some connection here because obviously you're doing such a great job at Volunteer New York!
Katie Pfeifer (13:21):
Well, thank you. Yep. So I've been volunteering since I was young. And one of the things we found at volunteer New York is that when people start volunteering young, they are volunteers for life. But I was actually a girl scout for 12 years. So did my many different volunteer experiences through that. And actually after I graduated from graduate school in a master's in public policy, I moved to Philadelphia and I started volunteering with an organization called back on my feet which is a running based program for people experiencing homelessness and through kind of group runs and building community. We help transition people out of homeless shelters and into jobs and apartments and in different pieces there. And so when I moved to Philadelphia, I actually didn't have a job and I started volunteering and I loved it. And it was a really wonderful, rewarding experience. And about six months into that, that volunteer experience they had a job opening and I applied for it. And I had never, before that had never worked with people experiencing homelessness. I had never done outreach before. I'd never been in a homeless shelter before. But I really feel like I got hired because of what I demonstrated as a volunteer. You know, I showed up every day I was committed. I was there, I was flexible. I was willing to try new things and they could teach me all the other pieces. But what I brought kind of as a volunteer showcased that and that's actually how I got, got into this space. Volunteering was kind of through that, to be that organization. And it really, you know, not every volunteer turns into a paid staff member, but it does give you those skills and a way to, to learn and experience. And you feel that you don't have experience and to really build that into a potential career path.
Betsy Bush (15:13):
I'm so intrigued by this idea of organizing runs for homeless people and through that you build community and connections with other people. And through that, get them into a better situation that I've never heard of an organization like that or mission like that. And I find that really intriguing.
Katie Pfeifer (15:37):
It is. It’s a fantastic organization. They're in 13 cities now I think. But it really is, you know, they'd be, would do a monthly race. So 5K's on up, they had people running marathons even, and you're working with people who many of, and I don't want to generalize completely, but many had never fully finished something before. And so to be able to run and run with, with someone else and cross the finish line and feel that accomplishment, then, you know, you're more in a place of, of feeling confident that you can, can complete this certification and job training. And they have staff that's working with them and there's financial assistance and it really helps to move people and just give them that, that opportunity, that chance that, you know, we have in general as a society written people off. And so it's, it's kind of saying, no, no, you are really important to us and we want to give you that boost.
Betsy Bush (16:36):
Fantastic. Tell us the name of that organization again.
Katie Pfeifer (16:39):
Back On My Feet.
Betsy Bush (16:40):
Back On My Feet. And it's in 13 cities, right?
Katie Pfeifer (16:44):
It's in 13 cities, Philly is where it started, it's in New York city as well.
Betsy Bush (16:49):
Fantastic. Well, maybe my listener will look for back on my feet and Google it and maybe find a, find a branch in his or her own hometown and get involved. That is an incredible story. One thing that I think a lot of women face is pressured to stick with a career. Even if you don't find it rewarding or maybe view volunteering as something only for maybe more privileged women who don't have to work for a living or are financially secure. And that sometimes that, that volunteering, even of those women who are in a place where they can volunteer that sometimes there's a diminishment of that subset of women that, you know, they're kind of viewed as the ladies who lunch crowd when they really could be doing some, some, they really could be doing some very important work, including fundraising, which is hard but extremely necessary. When you come to the nonprofit sector. Do you have any thoughts on, on women and volunteering in general?
Katie Pfeifer (17:58):
Many of our volunteers are women. I think you're quite right. I think that some parents feel obligated or feel pushed into kind of saying yes to something that they don't want to do. And that's, that's a women, I think in general, we say yes to things that we don't want to, and we should all stop doing that. Please say yes to things that we want to do. But I think that it's, it's seeing and trying to understand the different types of volunteering that there is that's available. Because someone who doesn't have a lot of time, you know, they, they can still help. Maybe it's at an event at the kids, your kid's school or through your religious organization. And it's a one-time kind of event. You know, you don't have to be on the planning committee for the fair, but you can volunteer at the fair and you can contribute that way. Um and I think the other point, you know, that you were sharing, I think you're right. We do tend to look at some of the women who volunteer as well. They're doing that because if nothing else, but, but actually what they're doing is they're saying this is really important to me. And so I am going to take my time and I'm going to use this. And, and I think many of them feel like they are in a place of privilege where they have that extra abundance of time. And so they are prioritizing and choosing to do something which is amazing. And you're right. Fundraising is an, a crucial and important part of volunteering and organizations. And so what they do matters very much. I think that, you know, I think that women can and should figure out kind of think about what it is that, that you want to do and really focus in on that. And it's okay to take some time for yourself and decide that this is what you want to do. There's a great organization in Westchester called Impact 100 Westchester. It's a collective giving organization. And so in Westchester members, they give a thousand dollars and then they each get a vote for where that money goes and they give a large gift. And someone on our staff actually is a member of Impact 100, and this is how she's choosing to spend her free time. You know, she, she's not maybe an athlete, she's not a painter, she's not going to classes like that, but she, this is how she wants to do it. And I think that's amazing and really saying, you know, this is what's important to me. This is how I'm going to spend my time.
Betsy Bush (20:21):
I think impact 100 is a group that's called a giving circle, right? Where everyone puts in a certain amount of money. And then as a group, they all decide how they're going to spend that. You know, as, as a grant money. But also it helps, you know, because they explore the different needs in their community. It's also a great educational vehicle for people who a lot of people don't know, haven't ventured into those parts of their community, where there is real need, and this brings them into contact with those kinds of things.
Katie Pfeifer (20:59):
Yes. And there's, there's other many other kind of giving circles. So you, you mentioned that name, which is great. There's I know one in Westchester around food and food insecurity. There's another one in Rockland County called women who died for a cause. And that one, it really is everybody, everybody gives what they can at the different events. And so, you know, you can join a giving collective and do that learning and not have to give at a set level. Right. So you can, so you feel like it's not for you, I guess is what I'm saying. Like it, and it is something that's open to everybody. And as a way to explore those organizations,
Betsy Bush (21:37):
Do you see a difference between the way women use volunteering and the way men use volunteering?
Katie Pfeifer (21:44):
It's a really great question. I don't know. I've never actually thought of that before. I will be honest with that. Many of our RSVP members who are over 55, actually women we don't have as many men that volunteer, although there are some really great men who volunteer as well. I think that, you know, as far as continuing careers, we see, you know, men wanting to volunteer in that role, although women absolutely do too. But I think for for women, it's a chance to help either kind of connect it to their family or religious organization or, you know, a cause that really is near and dear to their heart.
Betsy Bush (22:22):
I wonder if men tend to be more career oriented, so if it's not something and, and again, I don't want to generalize too much, but if it's not something they're being paid for, they'd rather do a hobby that's, I don't know, maybe athletic sports or golf or something like that. And, and I just don't know, I'm, I'm, I'm intrigued, I'm intrigued by this difference.
Katie Pfeifer (22:49):
Yeah, no, I think, I think, I think that's a really good point that you're making. And I think that in my family, my husband, his hobby is sailing, which is like a full afternoon. My hobby is running, which, you know, maybe an hour. So it's, I think part of that too, is thinking about how much time they, you feel like you have to give.
Betsy Bush (23:10):
Mm, do you see a difference between the way young people are volunteering and maybe their parents or even grandparents are volunteering?
Katie Pfeifer (23:20):
Yes. There is a difference between the generations and how they volunteer. So a lot of younger people are using their voice. So they're, you know, advocating on social media, showing up to different events. They are, you know, really that expanded kind of definition of volunteering outside of a I'm going to go and help a specific person at a specific time. And older people tend to volunteer in that regard. Younger people we're seeing want to do a lot more one day projects. So they just want to kind of sign up for a couple hours and do that commitment and that's that. And then come back another day and volunteer at another organization. Older adults tend to pick an organization and a project and, you know, every week continue to volunteer what that looks like. And then the last difference is really on issue areas. So Points of Light, the organization. I had mentioned, they did a big study on civic engagement a few months ago. And one of the things they found, you know, for older adults, hunger and homelessness is the top issue among a couple others. And that wasn't on the list for young people. Younger people, it was really more around race and equity the environment and climate change. And so we're seeing a difference in that regard too.
Betsy Bush (24:35):
Wow. I wonder if we could unpack that for a while, right. Absolutely. Yeah. I do think there's a more activist strain in younger people who are very concerned with social justice issues. And I think social media helps get the word out about social justice and but that's interesting about hunger and homelessness being less on their radar. So Katie, I always ask every guest at the end of our conversations, what three pieces of advice would you have to share with someone who is mid-career or early retirement looking to volunteer or how might they pursue volunteering as a, you know, step to that next part of their, yeah,
Katie Pfeifer (25:25):
So I have three, three pieces of advice. So one is definitely to volunteer. So if you're local to volunteer in New York, come to volunteer new york.org and find a great volunteer opportunity there. If you are part of the national audience the website to go to is actually it's engage dot points of light that work. So it's the engage search engine for points of light. And you can find opportunities close to you from organizations like ours all over. And so the next piece would be to start small. And I think it's really daunting and scary to kind of say, I want to change something, but I don't know what that is. And I don't know how I want to change it. And so start small with volunteering, pick a one day project, go do a park cleanup, go to a read-a-thon go to a kind of grandparent visiting day at a nursing home and just check it out and see, see what you like and see what you didn't like. Um and then that leads into my next piece, which is really thinking and taking the time, which for women is not an easy thing to do, right? Like prioritizing yourself and saying, I want to figure out what's important to me, but, but give yourself that time, think about what it is that you want and also what you don't want. We get a lot of people who will call and say, I'm looking to volunteer and we'll see, well, what do you want to do anything? And then you start to list examples. I don't want to do that. I don't want to do that. And that's, that's okay. It's actually better to say, you know what? I don't want to work with kids. So I don't want to work in a hospital than to say, I want to work with anything, but that's not actually accurate and make that list. And whether it's from past volunteering or from different jobs that you've had and focus in on the things that you like and the things that you liked about that job. And then as you're looking for what's next, you want to find a place that has more of the stuff you like and less of the stuff you didn't like.
Betsy Bush (27:33):
One of the through lines that we find in a lot of my conversations with people who have made interesting pivots in their lives is going back to those early childhood passions whether it was art or music or theater or something like that. Do you think the same thing applies to volunteering?
Katie Pfeifer (27:57):
Absolutely. yeah, you can, you can go back to those memories. So maybe it was going in handing out food at a food pantry and maybe it was coming together to paint a mural at a community center. Maybe it was a field day for kids and pull out that common thread of all the different things you liked and say, Hey, that's maybe where I'm supposed to be.
Betsy Bush (28:19):
Wonderful. I think this has been a really enriching conversation, Katie so much to think about. And I think you've given our listener a lot of places to start start thinking about what it is that you'd want to do and getting in touch with the volunteer matchup program nearest you, if you're not in the Hudson valley region of New York state, go to engage dot points of light.org and get to start there. Or of course your house of worship might have something going on or there might be community activities in your neighborhood that you should really check out, but go out and do something because it will be so enriching for you. And you'll be helping other people as well. And I think there's just so much, there's so much in this country that that needs help then need your help and can really enrich our lives all around. And Katie, you've done a great job today, introducing us to the idea of volunteering.
Katie Pfeifer (29:25):
Thank you very much, and I hope your listener goes out, finds that place to volunteer and builds the community that you're looking to see.
Betsy Bush (29:38):
Great. Thanks a lot, Katie. Thank you. Have a good one.