Mariearistocat
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2018
- Messages
- 105
Anyone else ever feel diminished and demeaned volunteering? I've been volunteering at our local animal shelter for almost three years, and pretty often because I enjoy it and love animals.
Last week I worked three days with the same two person staff. Day three last week, I had been asked by the director if I could come in and do an employee task as they were very short staffed and not having luck hiring. Sure! I got there at the time asked. The woman seemed completely annoyed by my presence. I asked where I could get started to help and she begrudgingly told me. This same woman the year before locked me out back with a dog as she left early.She asked if I have volunteered in that dept ever--umm yes hours ago and with you, plus with you two days prior. I'm also the person who went to the store and handed you the cleaning supplies you needed.
I am a good, solid strong worker and couldn't understand what her problem was. Seriously, it was to hose down kennels! 15 minutes in I was told to take a break. I decided to take a permanent one and grabbed my bag and told her good luck to you and left. She came running after me in the parking lot and begged me to not leave, she really needed my help. I went back in for the dogs and worked the next four hours. She was overly nice to me the rest of the shift (UGH) and kept telling me what a great job I did. Yeah, that's because I am a good worker lady. I also have an education and careerist prior to retiring to be a SAHM. Some of the other employees just seem rude, never a hello when they pass you in the hallway. This place is pretty much staffed 75 % by volunteers on any given day. I love the animals or I would tell them to pound sand.
The manager and director are always wonderful to me too. When I work, I show up on time, work hard and don't leave until the job is done.
Last year, I volunteered for an event with my teens at a children's museum. I had donated to the cause and couldn't wait to help. The women running it were very condescending to all of the teen volunteers, and me the only adult. I have regrets in not just leaving and only stayed for the cause, along with wanting to make sure all of the teens were ok. One girl told me she wished she could leave but her mom couldn't pick her up till later. It was all I could do to be treated rudely by these women in their low cut gowns holding drinks as they talked to us like peons.
I feel at my breaking point with volunteering. Back to the animal shelter, I know the shelter director well and composed and then deleted an email about last week. The woman who was rude to me more than made up for it, plus she's a hard worker and the place would suffer without someone like that. However, I can't help to wonder if any other volunteers have felt like me but never gone back?
Last week I worked three days with the same two person staff. Day three last week, I had been asked by the director if I could come in and do an employee task as they were very short staffed and not having luck hiring. Sure! I got there at the time asked. The woman seemed completely annoyed by my presence. I asked where I could get started to help and she begrudgingly told me. This same woman the year before locked me out back with a dog as she left early.She asked if I have volunteered in that dept ever--umm yes hours ago and with you, plus with you two days prior. I'm also the person who went to the store and handed you the cleaning supplies you needed.
I am a good, solid strong worker and couldn't understand what her problem was. Seriously, it was to hose down kennels! 15 minutes in I was told to take a break. I decided to take a permanent one and grabbed my bag and told her good luck to you and left. She came running after me in the parking lot and begged me to not leave, she really needed my help. I went back in for the dogs and worked the next four hours. She was overly nice to me the rest of the shift (UGH) and kept telling me what a great job I did. Yeah, that's because I am a good worker lady. I also have an education and careerist prior to retiring to be a SAHM. Some of the other employees just seem rude, never a hello when they pass you in the hallway. This place is pretty much staffed 75 % by volunteers on any given day. I love the animals or I would tell them to pound sand.
The manager and director are always wonderful to me too. When I work, I show up on time, work hard and don't leave until the job is done.
Last year, I volunteered for an event with my teens at a children's museum. I had donated to the cause and couldn't wait to help. The women running it were very condescending to all of the teen volunteers, and me the only adult. I have regrets in not just leaving and only stayed for the cause, along with wanting to make sure all of the teens were ok. One girl told me she wished she could leave but her mom couldn't pick her up till later. It was all I could do to be treated rudely by these women in their low cut gowns holding drinks as they talked to us like peons.
I feel at my breaking point with volunteering. Back to the animal shelter, I know the shelter director well and composed and then deleted an email about last week. The woman who was rude to me more than made up for it, plus she's a hard worker and the place would suffer without someone like that. However, I can't help to wonder if any other volunteers have felt like me but never gone back?
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