taken advantage of while volunteering

olias

OK, this is more of a vent/rant, but I thought it would be more appropriate on this board than the vent one.

I am unemployed, having spent the last few years nursing my wife through ill health. As part of her rehabilitation, she started volunteering for a national charity last year. This was at a local branch.

In order to help me get back into work, I too, started doing some volunteering for a local community group. I worked bl00dy hard doing hard physical work for full 8 hour days, but never recieved a word of thanks from the leader, but discovered that the work myself and other volunteers were doing was actually directly benefitting the leader and was not actually for the community at all. We were actually just effectively working for his business for free - I know I sound cryptic, but if I put any more info, then this 'group' could easily be identified and I want to remain anonymous. The leader was in fact using this group and the volunteers to feather his own nest'.

I was still, however willing to give it a chance and the benefit of the doubt, and asked the leader by email and phone message to contact me with a view to discussing further volunteering as and when the next community projects were underway. I have yet to recieve a reply, and that was 3 weeks ago!

Meanwhile, I have discovered that the branch of the charity my wife volunteers for, is situated within, and conected to, a private commercial business and that for the last 4 months they have had her working for their commercial operation effectively as a free member of staff:mad: This was clearly not what she volunteered for. She volunteered for a charity to help disadvantaged people, not to line the pockets of a private commercial business! Unfortunately, my wife is quite timid and lacking in confidence, hence why she had not complained or even told me until now.

I am furious, that by trying to help ourselves, the local community, and a charity, both myself and my wife have been taken the pi55 out of by unscrupulous people who clearly don't give a !!!!!!.

And they wonder why people don't bother!:mad:

Olias

Googlewhacker

minority of unscrupulous employers but look at the long term benefits for yourself, its something to put on the CV for paid employment.

KiKi

That's outrageous.

I don't know much about charity set ups, but is there someone you can talk to about it? A charity body that they're accountable to, or the head of the charity or something? Or if you went through an organisation who helped set it up...they should know in the very least.

Disgusting. I'm not surprised you're angry.

Have another angry face, for free: :mad:
KiKi

SueC_2

You have every right to feel angry and exploited.

Do try to keep it in context though. Both of you agreed to volunteer for your own purposes (to aid recovery and/or job prospects) not out of any feelings of benevolence towards the specific charities concerned.

Despite the fact that you have ended up not working for the charities themselves, your own objectives have still been met. Rather than wasting your energy feeling bitter about how this was achieved, try to concentrate on putting the skills/experience you have gained to good use.