(Editor’s note: This is an edited excerpt from an article written by Robert N. Holup that appeared in the latest edition of the Young Lawyers Division’s Dictum. Members can read the full issue here [login required].)
Volunteering does not have to be all-consuming, and it comes with some unexpected benefits. It’s about more than just a sense of feeling good about giving back. Volunteering your time is a way to take a step back, gain perspective, and earn a sense of gratitude and respect for your community. While volunteering is a nice addition to any resumé, it’s also an important step toward self-development that will improve both your emotional intelligence and your job performance. Quite simply, the insight gained from volunteering is unparalleled and will make you stand out from your peers.
Take, for instance, volunteering one afternoon at a food bank. Yes, this experience might make you feel good about how you spent your day. However, there are many other incredible benefits such an experience brings to a lawyer. For me, I like to regularly volunteer as a way to escape from my day-to-day. It’s a way to break up parts of the year where I am drowning in document review, bogged down with research, or overwhelmed with legal writing. It is also not uncommon for many lawyers to become jaded after many forced interactions with people who don’t necessarily represent the best of society. When I volunteer, I meet some of the most welcoming, caring, cheerful and ambitious people that I have ever known. This experience also allows me to improve my soft skills and practice presenting myself and communicating with complete strangers.
Just within the Young Lawyers Division over the past year, young lawyers have volunteered locally and donated time and items to many worthy organizations. In truth, the opportunities to give back and better yourself are endless and should be taken advantage of at every available turn.
For those of you who might be more interested in volunteering in a legal capacity, there are opportunities for you to sharpen your skills in whatever legal area you are volunteering. Pro bono representation of a client facing eviction, for example, will undoubtedly help you learn the ins and outs of this area of law while giving you the opportunity to get on your feet in court (or as it is more commonly known these days, standing behind your computer screen on Zoom). Wills for Heroes is another great opportunity to sharpen a legal skill while helping others and gaining valuable interpersonal skills.
For attorneys who are short on time, consider organizing a donation drive at your firm or office to collect food, clothing, or other items requested by a local charitable organization. For example, the recent Young Lawyers Division virtual clothing drive to support the Vietnam Veterans of America allowed lawyers to donate without ever leaving their home just by scheduling a pickup of donated goods.
Another recent opportunity to donate was available through the New Jersey State Bar Association Immigration Law Section. The drive for clothing and other much needed items, dubbed the Afghan Allies and Friends Winter Drive, was co-sponsored by the NJSBA Pro Bono Committee, YLD, Child Welfare Law Section and Military Law and Veterans’ Affairs Section. The goal was to help the thousands of Afghan evacuees who are sheltered at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County.
Other young lawyers have found volunteer opportunities with Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Toni’s Kitchen and twice with Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity (MEND). In November, some of us ran one of MEND’s mobile farmers markets in Newark as part of the “MEND on the Move” pilot program designed to extend access to fresh and healthy food beyond the food pantry walls that typically provide only non-perishable items.
That morning, young lawyers served fresh fruits and vegetables to 80 families representing 226 individuals. We gave out approximately 225 mangoes, 180 dozen eggs, and lots of yellow squash, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, apples, oranges and bananas. There was also book giveaways and a nutritionist on-site who prepared mini sweet potato pies and gave out recipes. Most importantly, we had the opportunity to meet and speak with the people that benefited from our efforts and shared some laughs.
As a collective, we are a powerful group and can make an even larger impact in our communities through volunteering and community service. There is no shortage of organizations doing impactful work who are in need of extra hands. Below is a list of 10 organizations throughout New Jersey that are actively looking for volunteers for various non-legal opportunities. Some opportunities are in-person while others are virtual; some opportunities are long term while others simply ask for a couple hours of your time or to complete a discrete task.
- Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity (MEND) – Orange
- United Methodist Aid to the Community (CUMAC) – Paterson
- Toni’s Kitchen – Montclair
- United Mission for Relief and Development – Newark
- Literacy Volunteers of America, Essex & Passaic Counties – Bloomfield
- New Life Boxer Rescue – Kenilworth
- CASA of Union County, Inc. – Elizabeth
- Boys & Girls Club – Trenton
- EASEL Animal Rescue League of Mercer County – Ewing
- Caring Hospice Services of South Jersey – Mount Laurel Township
Please do not hesitate to contact me or Frank DeRienzo, Chair of the YLD Philanthropy Committee, if you would like to get more involved in the YLD’s charitable efforts, or if know of an available charitable opportunity you would like to share.