What’s your True Color?

I recently attended a workshop put on by volunteer coordinators in Newaygo County. One of the presentations at the workshop was on finding your True Color and how to work well with people who are a different color from you. What is a True Color you may ask, and how do I figure out what mine is? True Colors is a personality test that determines if your personality is one of four colors: blue, green, gold, or orange. It offers an opportunity to understand ourselves more fully and appreciate the differences in others. We all have a little bit of each color in us, but usually one color stands out from the rest. The test looks at your strengths and helps you to understand why one person can look at a situation one way, and another looks at it completely different.

My True Color is gold. Actually, I’m very gold. Here’s what that means according to my results: “Your strength is duty. You are organized, punctual, and dependable. Others know they can count on you to get things done. You believe that work comes before play. Your best skills include completing tasks and paying attention to details.” I have to say, that pretty much describes me to a “T”. So how does this really help me in my personal and professional life and how can it help you in yours? Well for me, I have a clearer idea of who I am and why I make the decisions that I do. It also helped me to realize that not everyone’s strengths include organization and paying attention to details. As gold is my highest color, I find myself feeling frustrated when the people around me are not as organized or dependable. This test made me take a step back and realize that their strengths are different than mine and both are just as useful in a personal or work situation.

You can take the True Colors Personality Test online and determine your own True Color. Unfortunately, the online test is not as informative as sitting in a face-to-face workshop with a certified trainer. The workshop gave us tools to communicate with people that have different personality types from ourselves and what kind of leadership styles each color emphasizes. The online test is just a basic assessment, but it is still useful in that you can see where your own strengths lie. The workshop takes it a step further and helps clarify why you communicate in a different way than your peers or coworkers, and it makes you appreciate the way others think. If you ever get a chance to attend a True Colors workshop, I highly recommend doing so.

You may volunteer closely with several other people who may or may not have similar personalities and strengths as you. This can create a frustrating environment; or it can be an opportunity to learn from each other’s strengths and use them to complete your volunteer assignment or tasks in a new way. This page outlines some of the differences between color personalities and how it applies in the workplace: http://bit.ly/m0YXMm. Individuals volunteer for many different reasons, not the least of which is meeting and interacting with new people. The True Colors test is a great starting point for learning how to communicate with your fellow volunteers, especially if your personality types are polar opposites!

For more information on the True Colors Personality Test, visit: www.truecolorstest.com.

From a Volunteer’s P.O.V.

This is a guest post by Cassie Hoisington, the administrative intern at TrueNorth. She is currently a senior at Fremont High School and will be going to Grand Valley in the fall to pursue a degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration.

“The first time I ever experienced a service of TrueNorth was in fifth grade. I participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and I had a Big Sister named Rachel. She would visit once or twice a week during recess and we would play games together. Her influence helped me open up to her and other people. She was a high school senior, the same age that I am now, and though I only got to spend a year with her, I think she became a role model for me. She was a girl scout, just like I am, and she ran for Baby Food Festival Queen. She didn’t win, but I still had a sense of pride knowing that she had been my Big Sister. Since then, I’ve wanted to be able to help people like Rachel helped me.

Now I’m a high school intern at TrueNorth and have experienced all sorts of different tasks. I started out as an intern because I wanted to be a social worker, but I discovered that it wasn’t for me. I figured out that I would rather help manage a program that is helping people, so now I help by doing work on the administrative side. I’ve done every sort of task that there is here; I’ve folded business cards, worked in the food pantry, planned routes for a project, and almost everything in-between. The best thing about volunteering is when I feel like I’ve truly made a difference in someone’s life, even if it’s a tiny one. Just smiling at someone or helping bag their groceries can make a person feel better, even if it’s only for just that moment. “

Thanks for the post Cassie!

Skill-Based Volunteering - the Latest Trend!

Welcome to the new TrueNorth volunteerism blog: The Volunteer Path. The purpose of this blog is to explore topics related to volunteerism and offer a venue for people to share their thoughts on volunteering. Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome!

Skill-based volunteering is a huge new trend in the volunteerism sector. Has anyone heard of this term before? Anyone? Anyone? Let’s break it down; Think about the skills you personally have. I’m not talking about math or science here. You may have an outgoing personality and enjoy talking to people… or know a lot about music… or be able to type 100 words per minute. Sports, art, technology, reading, social media. The list is endless. Skill-based volunteering harnesses those abilities and leverages them to help nonprofits like ours achieve their mission.

When most people look for volunteer opportunities, they often look for something that already exists such as a roadside cleanup or stocking food pantry shelves. While those are both very important, these types of volunteer opportunities don’t typically require a high skill level. What if you flipped that strategy upside down? Look at the skills that you have attained throughout your life and ask yourself – “Could any of those things possibly help a nonprofit?”  

Your sports talent could translate into an opportunity to teach a child to play. Your experience in human resources could help an organization recruit and train new volunteers. Maybe your ability to interact with people online could help a nonprofit advertise and advocate for their cause. Look at yourself in a new light. What do you have to offer the world?

Here are a few steps to get you started:

1. Assess the knowledge, skills and experience you can offer a nonprofit.
2. Choose an organization whose work is important to you, and identify ways you can support its mission.
3. Establish goals and expectations for each project.

Still need convincing? Check this out: http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/files/SBV-a-new-generation-of-service.pdf

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Join Hands Day- May 7, 10am-12pm

Join Hands Day is a national volunteer day that specifically targets and develops relationships between young people and adults through volunteering. This year at TrueNorth, we will be hosting a Warm Hearts Blanket Bee on Saturday, May 7, to make warm, no-sew fleece blankets for children and families in need.  Michigan weather can be unpredictable, even in the summer. Often, the only thing that separates cold people from comfort is a warm blanket. A really neat feature of the Warm Hearts Blanket Bee is the no-sew method used to create the blankets, which ensures that almost anyone can do it; there is no sewing experience necessary! This is a day for families to come together and volunteer for the community they live in. To RSVP, please contact Lora at 231.924.0641 or lstevens@truenorthservices.org.

Challenge Course Facilitator

The purpose of the Challenge Course at Camp Newaygo is to explore group interaction, problem-solving, and leadership, as well as helping campers confront personal fears. The Challenge Course includes a climbing wall, ropes course, team-building activities, and more. A trained volunteer facilitator will help groups of campers safely complete the Challenge Course by demonstrating proper techniques and leading team-building activities. This is a great opportunity to build your resume, improve your communication and management skills, and learn how to use a ropes course and other functions of a Challenge Course. Training is on June 3, 2011. For a complete position description, please click here.