Why Community History Matters in a Volunteer Orientation

In revamping Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland's volunteering system, I had the opportunity to take a ten-week course on the AmeriCorps VISTA site all about volunteers. I learned a great deal in the process, and one of the main things I took away from the course was the importance of a strong volunteer orientation. In our meeting with the Clubs to discuss the volunteering system today, though, I was given a perfect example of why one of the aspects of a strong orientation, the "Cause" section, includes the history and populations of the neighborhood.