5. Volunteer Empowerment

Communicating with volunteers does not differ largely from communicating with other staff. All must clearly understand your program’s goals, and they all must understand why you are aiming to accomplish these goals. Volunteers and staff alike must alsounderstand how to specifically achieve your program’s objectives. The best way to do all of this is to write out, clearly, and in simple language, your objectives and guidelines. Post the goals and guidelines everywhere; do not be stingy with your distribution. Once volunteers and staff understand the reasoning behind your methodology, communicate which parts of the program must not be changed in order for it to operate. Spell out specifically why parts cannot be changed in order for your message to truly be understood and respected. You should be willing to train volunteers in all aspects of your program: theory, evaluation, public advocacy, etc. Investing time into educating your volunteers pays off by making them more efficient workers and also gives them a sense of responsibility because you are willing to nurture their skills. Volunteers should be able to communicate and work effectively with other members of the community. This may not come naturally to some people; be prepared to offer educational materials on how to talk and work with other community members. Volunteers should also be able to communicate effectively with leaders and workers in other non-smoker’s rights programs. Empower volunteers to feel like they are capable of speaking about your program by offering educational materials and means of encouragement. Train volunteers to be delegates at local meetings of professionals working in similar projects. A confident and knowledgeable volunteer will strengthen community mobilization and will be a better public health advocate. Above all, you should try and keep a volunteer excited and passionate about his or her work in order to encourage loyalty and continued service. Give a dedicated volunteer more responsibility, and praise him or her for an enthusiastic effort. Formally recognize your volunteer’s service in order to show him or her that his or her efforts have not been wasted.

A Ability to promote a network of information exchanges among program staff, public healthprofessionals and volunteers working on programs with similar goals

B Ability to help volunteers develop and maintain a sense of passion about their work by recognizing accomplishments, building on momentum, and supporting effective volunteer teamwork

C Ability to strategically develop volunteers skills related to Community mobilization

D Ability to strategically develop volunteer experience related to public health advocacy

E Ability to strategically develop volunteer skills related to working effectively with other community members

F Ability to communicate clearly to volunteers program guidelines and to identify for volunteers those parts of programs that cannot be modified or changed (the "givens")