How to Volunteer Like a Pro

"Amateurs do what they do because they love it," writes Jim Hancock in his book How to Volunteer Like a Pro: An Amateur's Guide for Working with Teenagers. "Amateurs are responsible for Wikepedia, Linux, and Firefox; amateurs conduct search-and-rescue operations and knock down structural fires in small towns; Olympic-class athletes—most of them—are amateurs. That's the sense in which I think of volunteer youth workers as amateurs, and in that sense the title 'amateur youth worker' is in no way second-class."

A rural region like ours really owes a debt of gratitude to the many volunteers who benefit youth with their time and expertise. Often they have to learn as they go and training opportunities aren't always plentiful. A great place to start expanding their knowledge base is this book. Jim Hancock, its author, benefits the reader with anecdotes from his two decades experience in youth ministry. His writing is accessible and to-the-point.

From relating to kids and families, to organizing events, to emergency situations like hospital visits and bereavement, How to Volunteer Like a Pro is a concise guide to a number of topics. I recommend this resource for youth workers and Sunday school volunteers. I know I will be getting it in the hands of my volunteers!

Ian Eastman, M.A., is a community educator with Family Services of Warren County—a charitable agency that provides counseling, substance abuse services, and support groups. This Healthy Advice column originally ran in the February 19, 2010, edition of the Times Observer in Warren, PA.