Latino Culture and Latino Culture and VolunteerismVolunteerism

Frida BonaparteFrida BonaparteCross Cultural CommunicatorCross Cultural CommunicatorMississippi State UniversityMississippi State University

Dr.Dr. Andrew BehnkeAndrew BehnkeProfessor and Extension SpecialistProfessor and Extension Specialist

North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University

Cintia AguilarCintia Aguilar Extension Latino Affairs FacilitatorExtension Latino Affairs Facilitator

North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University

Why Diversify the Volunteer Why Diversify the Volunteer Base?Base?

Enrich organizationsEnrich organizations Services are more culturally Services are more culturally

appropriateappropriate Bring diverse viewpointsBring diverse viewpoints Redesign its approach to Redesign its approach to

volunteer recruitment volunteer recruitment Consider cultural contextConsider cultural context

Diversifying the Volunteer Diversifying the Volunteer BaseBase

Involve the entire familyInvolve the entire family Latino youth volunteersLatino youth volunteers Latino 4-H adult volunteersLatino 4-H adult volunteers Latino Homemaker/FCS Latino Homemaker/FCS

volunteersvolunteers

Motivations for Volunteering Motivations for Volunteering

A desire to help their community A desire to help their community An opportunity to learn skills, An opportunity to learn skills,

gain experience, and get better gain experience, and get better professional jobsprofessional jobs

A chance to meet new people A chance to meet new people and to be personally challenged and to be personally challenged

A way to share their cultural A way to share their cultural traditions with youth or with traditions with youth or with members of the community. members of the community.

Volunteerism: True or FalseVolunteerism: True or False

Everybody can be great Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. grace, a soul generated by love.

--Martin Luther King Jr.--Martin Luther King Jr.

Characteristics of Characteristics of Volunteerism within the Volunteerism within the

Latino CultureLatino Culture When reaching out to new audiences, When reaching out to new audiences,

we must take the time to fully we must take the time to fully understand the dynamics involved.understand the dynamics involved.

We got to know them. We learned how We got to know them. We learned how they learned and what they valued.they learned and what they valued.

We introduced these educational We introduced these educational innovations by building a relationship innovations by building a relationship with the clientele and earning their with the clientele and earning their trusttrust

Characteristics of Characteristics of Volunteerism within the Volunteerism within the

Latino CultureLatino Culture

Informal volunteerism system. Informal volunteerism system. Culture of “doing favors.” Culture of “doing favors.”

For many of the immigrants For many of the immigrants coming to the United States, coming to the United States, volunteering is not part of their volunteering is not part of their history. history.

Latinos do not volunteer in the Latinos do not volunteer in the traditional American pattern.traditional American pattern.

(B. Hobbs, Extension specialist, Oregon State (B. Hobbs, Extension specialist, Oregon State University)University)

  

Characteristics of Characteristics of Volunteerism within the Volunteerism within the

Latino CultureLatino Culture Helping others is second nature Helping others is second nature

to Latinos. It isn’t viewed as to Latinos. It isn’t viewed as something you do at a particular something you do at a particular time, for a particular group.time, for a particular group.

For many of the Latino For many of the Latino immigrants, volunteering refers immigrants, volunteering refers to activities carried out by the to activities carried out by the wealthy on behalf of the poor.wealthy on behalf of the poor.

Strategies to Recruit Latino Strategies to Recruit Latino VolunteersVolunteers

Build a relationship and Build a relationship and establish trust with the Latino establish trust with the Latino community.community.

Establish a presence in the Establish a presence in the Latino community.Latino community.

Recruiting Latinos as volunteers Recruiting Latinos as volunteers needs to be done on a one-to-needs to be done on a one-to-one basis.one basis.

Strategies to Recruit Latino Strategies to Recruit Latino VolunteersVolunteers

Attend Latino events in your Attend Latino events in your community, such as festivals community, such as festivals and soccer tournaments.and soccer tournaments.

Contact people personally, Contact people personally, rather than relying only on rather than relying only on written communication. written communication.

Strategies to Recruit Latino Strategies to Recruit Latino VolunteersVolunteers

Introduce your organization’s Introduce your organization’s mission and goals and how they mission and goals and how they apply and benefit the Latino apply and benefit the Latino communitycommunity.. How they can volunteer. How they can volunteer.

Emphasize the idea that anybody Emphasize the idea that anybody can be a volunteer regardless of can be a volunteer regardless of his or her gender, age, religion, his or her gender, age, religion, race, economic, and educational race, economic, and educational level. level.

Strategies to Recruit Latino Strategies to Recruit Latino VolunteersVolunteers

Invite them to work within a diverse Invite them to work within a diverse work committee or group. Be sure work committee or group. Be sure that they have somebody they that they have somebody they already trust in the group.already trust in the group.

Make reminder calls. This helps not Make reminder calls. This helps not only to remind them of their task or only to remind them of their task or meeting but also to build a meeting but also to build a relationship.relationship.

Recognition of their work must be Recognition of their work must be designed within the cultural context.designed within the cultural context.

Feel free to email us for more Feel free to email us for more information or a copy of information or a copy of these slidesthese slides

Any Questions?Any Questions?

¡ Gracias y Buena Suerte!