- Do attempt to remember the client’s name!
- Avoid gendered language and do not assume a person’s pronoun based on their appearance. Do not attempt to relate to experiences or identities that you do not personally hold. Do not give your opinions about communities or groups you are not a part of.
V training
Engagement tips to review with volunteers:
- Practice active listening strategies, giving undivided attention to the client during interactions.
- Give your full attention to clients, avoid taking notes, and using cellphones while interacting with clients.
- Repeat, question, and paraphrase key points back to the client to ensure they were adequately understood.
- Ask Offer Ask
- Ask what they already know.
- Ask if you can provide additional information.
- Offer the information.
- Ask what they think.
- Ambivalence, or holding two conflicting opinions about the same issue, is normal.
- Avoid telling clients what they need; instead, ask open-ended questions.
- Recognizing clients as both agents and experts of their own lives.
- Focus on relationship building and explicitly recognizing client strengths.
- Reiterate to the client that they are the person who is best suited to make their food choices.
- All change is self-change. Staff can change their approach to their work, but only clients can change their own lives.
- Reluctance to change is not resistance.
You may also create a volunteer handbook to give your organization consistency about all of the critical information you would like to share with new volunteers. Below is an example of a Volunteer Handbook. Review and see if creating one for your organization would be helpful.
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