My Nonprofit Reviews
MilitaryMatters
Review for The Give An Hour Nonprofit, Bethesda, MD, USA
Being a military parent, myself, and an independent Military Outreach Support Advocate, I have engaged with a network of over 50,000-80,000 individuals, most all who have experienced having a loved one, friend or family member deployed at some point in time over the last ten years we have been engaged in war in Iraq and/or Afghanistan.
When any of these individuals reaches out to me, seeking local counseling services, it is vital for me to find them support... now.
Many of them have reached their breaking point... and they become stressed-out even moreso when they find out that they cannot afford the cost of the counseling, or there isn't a facility or mental health provider agency nearby.
Give an Hour removes these two obstacles. Through their network of providers and counselors, I am able to help the person in need of counseling, finding a resource nearby where they live; a counselor readily available... giving them hope that help is available almost immediately.
There is absolutely no cost to the person in need... the counseling services are free... they do not have to pay any monetary fee, whatsoever, to the counselor.
MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS: If you are a mental health provider, donating one hour a week of your invaluable talent and profession can make an incalculable difference in someone else's life... counseling a mom who is overwhelmed with anxiety and stress worrying about her son or daughter who is currently deployed for the first time, or on a second or third deployment; counseling the returning service member who is battling the invisible wound of reoccurring nightmares or reliving what they witnessed in combat; counseling the parent or child of a service member who has returned from deployment, and whose behavior has turned to violence and abuse due to alcohol or drug addiction... your services are in dire need. Please make contact with Give an Hour.
VOLUNTEER: There are not enough mental health providers available, today, to adequately meet the volume of those in need of counseling. If you know of social workers or counselors who might be willing to donate one hour of their time; or, if you know of someone who is in need of counseling... ask them to view the Give an Hour website ( www.giveanhour.org )
I attend as many community events, job fairs, health fairs or veteran events to network and connect with as many people that I possible can to inform them of the Give an Hour non-profit, and the services that are available. I also ask that if they are not a mental health provider, but are a charitable organization themselves who might need volunteers, that they make contact with a Give an Hour to reach other volunteers in their community or nearby.
Making a difference in someone else's life... giving them a sense of hope, enabling them to live life as opposed to merely existing... that is the true definition to describe Give an Hour.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Referring military family members to one of Give an Hour's volunteer mental health providers... the mother of a son suffering from severe PTSD has been able to find a local counselor, and she has found hope that each day is a little better than yesterday... she thanked me, and I am humbled that she feels she owes me thanks... when the truth of the matter is I am grateful for the mental health provider who volunteered the time to help this mom.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Strive to extend additional in-depth person-to-person contact with the volunteer staff via web or telephone conferences to keep the volunteer up-to-date with any new services that will soon be offered, or are now being offered to either the provider or to the person seeking counseling services.
What one change could this group make that would improve your volunteer experience?
Have them find out more about what I can bring to their table, and am willing to offer, to bring awareness to their organization in other demographic areas. Provide feedback to the volunteers to let them know how GAH is impacted by the efforts of the volunteers. In other words, if GAH is contacted by virtue of direct volunteer referral, the volunteer is then able to assess how to present or adopt best practices that achieve results and mission accomplished. Encourage the GAH leadership to leverage their contacts and outreach, asking the national organizations with chapters, friends and / or family in other demographic areas to invite the local GAH volunteer(s) to come and speak about Give an Hour. The volunteer who is able and willing to bring awareness to GAH will not only bring additional providers and possible donations to GAH, but will also save the GAH organization administrative costs that are associated with paying for the Corporate employee to travel.
Did your volunteer experience have an effect on you? (teaching you a new skill, or introducing new friends, etc.)
Most definitely being able to connect with other charitable organizations, and individuals who are in need of resources... and able to perhaps find a new doorway to connect with other community and business leaders to engage them.
How did this volunteer experience make you feel?
Being able to make a difference in someone else's life in a positive way is always humbling and extremely gratifying.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
