He or she may not have the money in their pocket to pay for therapy, but that amount of work is a big commitment to make and puts them in the driver's seat, earning their therapy. This structure also convinces our funders, who underwrite this endeavor, of our clients' commitment to the community and their therapy and self-help. The volunteer work really is tailored to the interest of the person. We don't get involved with the agency where someone is volunteering, in order to further preserve their privacy. I brainstorm with the client about where they might volunteer, or I can point them toward volunteer centers for further choices, but they do it strictly as a private citizen.
Many volunteers report a sense of accomplishment, of a job well done in helping others.
It places people in the position of helping others, rubbing elbows with others while doing important work. That can raise someone's sense of self-worth and dignity and can lessen isolation. That would depend on the logistics of how many new clients we have coming in, etc. We are locally looking for people who would end up working with roughly one to three people per week through their private offices. Nonprofit organizations are chartered by state.