Pro Tip: Asking the Right Questions

Continuing the Spectacle of Saints blog series on discernment during the month of October, we welcome current PULSE volunteer and former Christian Appalachian Project volunteer, Julia Mendlowitz-Love. As a result of discerning her involvement in two different volunteer programs, Julia brings much wisdom and insight to the topic. Julia is serving at Homefull during her PULSE year; you'll learn more about that in a future blog post!



Who do I want to be? 
What do I want to do?
Am I qualified? 
Is this the right time? 

With any discernment comes questions, but are these the right ones to be asking?
Considering a year of service is no simple task. How can you decide when there are so many opportunities and communities that need you? Believe it or not, you already know where you will be going and what you will be doing; you just haven’t been asking the right questions!

Do you want it to be faith-based or not? And to what degree? 

Julia and a fellow CAP volunteer 

Do you want everyone to be the same denomination or would you rather be surrounded by different traditions?   

How far away are you willing to travel? (If your first reaction is to go overseas consider that you will literally be gone the whole year; no holidays, most likely.)

Do you want to be an hour away in case you forget your toothbrush or across the country and buy a new one?

Whom do I want to serve? (Elderly, children, families, refugees, those who are incarcerated, those experiencing homelessness, etc.There is a long list of people who seek support, try to hone in not only on what you are drawn to, but where your skills lie.)

Julia and her MP3 Means Community

Pro tip: Look at what you’ve done in the past. What jobs, activities, or volunteer opportunities have in some way trained you? Vacation bible school, waitressing, desk work, day trips to a soup kitchen; everything you’ve been a part of is leading you somewhere.

How do I want to live?
With one roommate, multiple roommates, by yourself, housemates?
With intentional community?
In a house, an apartment, immersed in the neighborhood?
With a stipend, room and board, travel compensation?

Ultimately you want to know the answer to “What am I hoping to gain from this and what am I willing to sacrifice?” Try to seek out the people who aren’t going to give you the “right” answer but rather be there for you so you can answer these questions for yourself.

Do not be afraid to call an organization to ask if they provide towels. If you plan on traveling by plane, towels take up a lot of space and you need to know! Ask all the questions that feel silly to you—if you’ve never done this before, how are you supposed to know the answers?

A video visit with family

Lastly, be kind to yourself! The biggest mistake I’ve ever made in discerning is thinking I had to know everything or I had to be qualified with a certain degree. A good organization will be willing to train their volunteers and keep supporting you throughout your time there. Don’t put yourself in a box of what you think the perfect volunteer looks like; it looks like you because you are willing, and that is truly all this world needs—dedicated and willing people. 

Happy discerning!
Julia