The EWYL program makes finding facilitators easier by creating effective and rewarding positions. These “facilitator” positions allow your volunteers to interact directly with your clients, provide them with important and pertinent information, and help them to develop great relationships. Once you have the position for your volunteers to serve in, it is time to recruit. Here is the experience of our local PRC:
Recently I was talking to a rural center director who was sharing her concerns about the lack of volunteers. “People seem interested when I talk to them,” she said, “but they never come in.” That was true of our center for many years, but we came up with a system to help fill all those volunteer spots.
First, we printed quarter-page cards on bright colored stock. On these cards we put lines for the usual data: name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and areas of interest. The cards are generic. How we use them is the trick. All volunteers and staff carry cards with them. When we bump into someone who expresses an interest in the ministry, we whip out the card and (this is the important point) have them fill it out on the spot. Don’t let them say, “I’ll fill it out and send it to you.” They won’t!