To keep volunteering or to quit?

[shootingstar]

You've given a lot and given well.
Throw yourself in those personal projects. You may come back to volunteering in cycling in a different way.

I've volunteered for 4 different organizations over a 15 yr. period. I didn't feel like slave labour and my career is a blend of direct client service plus planning and technical. I didn't feel like slave labour because for 2 of non-profit organizations, paid staff really did work very hard for low wages but for high skill performance and dealing with a lot of public demands and expectations.

One of the organizations where everyone was volunteer, was a cycling women's organization. Did rides, ran workshops and had a conference every 2 years. We attracted over 300 women in southern Ontario. The hardest part, laura was the 4 core organizers, including myself, had to give up on the organization after 5 years. WE were burnt out but there was no new volunteer blood to carry the organization forward. It was a very sad feeling for all of us.

I do have a good friend still via that core group. Yes, she is cycling advocate and has a paid govn't job in alternative transportation.

Meanwhile my partner is an uber volunteer after his retirement. So Crankin, I disagree it's often women. IN the cycling advocacy world (in Canada), there appears a preponderance of male volunteers. World of cycling advocacy includes technical discussion with municipalities on infrastructure which to me, I find boring vs. igniting interest in cycling for the public. However after awhile there are some talkers, but no action...which includes some women.

Meanwhile my partner seems to tolerate endless committee meetings and regional/provincial meetings. He is a good organizer and loves helping fledgling non-profits in carving out vision and making it happen. He is known in the Greater Vancouver area.

Meanwhile I haven't volunteered for anything in the city where I live in past 5 years... I haven't taken time to figure out what lights up my interest to volunteer. Except my energy has turned "inward"? to blogging/writing and art, if I'm not cycling.