Striking a balance in giving back

A steam-powered train rolls through the hills of northern Delaware on the Wilmington & Western on June 19. It is a great volunteer-driven railroad that is in no way affiliated with the unnamed Nonprofit Tourist Railroad in the Midwest mentioned elsewhere in the story. Photo by Brian Schmidt

A friend of mine volunteers with a Nonprofit Tourist Railroad in the Midwest. He's there, almost religiously every weekend in the summer, helping to run trains.

Recently, however, he confided in me that he had taken a weekend off for some planned travel – that never materialized. While initially a disappointment, his sorrow turned to elation when he realized he didn't have to go back to work at the Nonprofit Tourist Railroad in the Midwest, even though his initial "request" for time off was met with some resistance from other volunteers.

It's my contention that his experience is far from rare. When I've talked to various organizations about volunteering, there has always been an implied requirement to be there every freakin' weekend. But I still need to mow the grass, install a new ceiling fan, and clean the gutters at home. Oh, and change the brakes on the car. Frankly, I'm only comfortable giving one weekend a month, given all of the responsibilities and interests vying for my time.

So what is the appropriate ratio when giving one's time to an organization? Should the organizations expect full attendance throughout the season? Should I expect to give up half of my weekends, or more, in the summer for the privilege of railroading without pay?

I, for one, don't think so.