Comments on: getting rejected from volunteering. (seriously. it’s a thing)

By: Meghan

Meghan — Sat, 11 May 2013 03:14:50 +0000

I was rejected by BBBS about 8 years ago. Like you I was not told why. Like you I found it very upsetting.

Finally this year I decided to volunteer with another organization called Write Girl. I went to an event they held and it seemed like the perfect fit for me. This week they sent me two emails asking for new volunteers. I applied… and they rejected me.

I don’t know what to think about this volunteer rejection. But reading your story helped me feel better.

By: TK

TK — Fri, 10 May 2013 01:58:33 +0000

I was rejected to volunteer for a fire department. I honestly wanted to help the community but I felt I got rejected because I am a female. Only men were in the station with the exception of two older females. Its sad that we are trying to help and make this world a better place, yet we got declined to do so.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 21:11:16 +0000

I know how it feels, a horrible feeling! Hopefully they will reconsider, you seem like such a nice person I recently applied for a volunteer program on Criminal Justice at a court house. Sadly, they rejected saying they have other volunteers that have loads of experience. I know it is not as helpful as helping a child, but I have a passion of that. I felt like I got a rejection letter to not getting a job:(

By: Spelling

Spelling — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 18:26:34 +0000

That is so dumb. You sound like a fantastic person to have as a Big.

I hope you find your volunteer calling somewhere else.

By: Megan

Megan — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:41:43 +0000

I completely understand! One summer while I was home from college, I was rejected from being a volunteer at the youth group I had been a part of in middle and high school. Some of my friends were volunteers there at the time and enjoyed it, so I thought it would be a fun opportunity to continue to be a part of the youth group in any way that I could. I volunteered as a team member and after the brief interview, I was told that it seemed like I wasn’t in it for the kids, but rather to hang out with my friends. I was crushed and offended

By: Iris

Iris — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 19:20:48 +0000

It’s even worse if you want to turn this kind of thing into your living. I’m a student hoping to work in the humanitarian sector (primarily international development) and everyone I’ve spoken to about achieving it says the same thing: there are many, many more people who want to work in the third sector than there are spaces for them, it’s almost impossible to get in, you need to be an expert… It seems so counter-intuitive – there are definitely enough problems out there, how do we not need more people solving them?

I say take these other lovely commenters’ recommendation and do a similar mentoring thing with a smaller organization. They’re usually better to work in, and often much more effective – because they don’t get so tied up in bureaucracy, they get more direct results and can work much more flexibly.

By: Pam

Pam — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 15:19:31 +0000

I applied for a job at BBBS almost a year ago, so when they called me eight months later, I didn’t even know what I applied for! I went to the five-hour interview. They never called or wrote me saying I didn’t get the job. I called for weeks. The HR director did tell me there were too many female volunteer applicants though.

I’ve also tried to volunteer in the past for other organizations, but no one wanted me. I worked 9-5 and no one needed anyone at night. Ever. I’m willing to give my time and energy … for free! Ridiculous if you ask me.

By: Kimmy Sue Ruby Lou

Kimmy Sue Ruby Lou — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:33:50 +0000

Possibly they felt you would be “too sensitive.”

By: Charise

Charise — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:05:40 +0000

I am a volunteer for BBBS, and at least in my area, couples can co-mentor a boy. If Bear is up for it, maybe the two of you can try for that?

It makes me so sad to see them turning away mentors, and ESPECIALLY using terms like “declined” instead of putting applicants on a waitlist if it really is that there’s too many volunteers, or explaining the situation.

By: Liz

Liz — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 13:08:21 +0000

Concerning the Czech circus –
I was living in Slovakia at the time. Two of my friends and I wanted to go to the circus that was in town. It was this dinky little thing (I think the biggest animal attraction was these trained goats), but it looked really fun. We bought tickets and everything, but for some reason, they wouldn’t let us in. We spoke enough of the language to communicate, and they just kept on telling us that we weren’t the kind of people they wanted. (We didn’t look seedy or anything, except for my friend’s beards, so I don’t know what their problem was!) They were kinda nasty about it too.

So, the 3 of us sat outside across the little river and listened to everyone having fun inside the tent. And then – no joke – it began to rain! We started calling each other “the circus rejects” and whenever life kinda sucks or when things are going great, we write or facebook each other with some line about rejection – and it puts everything in proper focus lol