Do Our Systems Encourage or Demoralize Volunteers?

I am down at the North Texas Food Bank to pick up the boxes of turkeys for the Thanksgiving baskets our church is making. I have been waiting for about and hour and have no idea when my number will finally be called to tell me that the turkeys are ready for pick up.

I know that we are getting the turkeys for free from the food bank - and for that I am grateful.

I know that in the grand scheme of things waiting most of the morning today is not that big of a deal.

I know that the people here at the food bank are doing their best with the tools they have - and for that I am grateful.

However, if I was doing this all the time I would find this experience incredibly frustrating and discouraging.

And the thing is. Most of the people waiting in the waiting room are people who do all the time in order to help their communities. These are people who ought to be lauded and thanked for their time and effort. These are folks that we ought to go out of our way to help and encourage.

I know the food is free, but that shouldn't mean that the experience and the service ought to be poor.

This is a systems and leadership issue.

And as I sit here writing this blog, I can't help but wonder if we at the church make serving and giving as difficult and frustrating as this food pick up experience is.

Do our systems for volunteers and members equip and encourage them to serve and give more or are our systems demoralizing and discouraging to our volunteers and members?

This has been a huge and wonderful learning experience for me.

We've got to do a better job of helping and encouraging folks who want to make a difference.

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