If you’ve been to a Project Helping volunteer event, you’re probably familiar with the bright green Kynd Leader shirts. These let you know that you’re in the right place. As a back up Kynd Leader, I’m the person wearing that green shirt. Here are my top 7 favorite things about being a Kynd Leader. Hopefully, by the end of this list, you’ll want to be a Kynd Leader too!

1) Meeting people!
I start every event by checking in volunteers on the Eventbrite app. This is the time where I learn names and try my hardest to remember everyone’s names. I also introduce myself and check in with the volunteers. This is to see who has volunteered there before and who is there for the first time. As events progress, there is always lots of time to chat while we work. This is my favorite part of any event! I always love learning more about people and hearing their stories.
2) New Events
One thing I love about being a back up Kynd Leader is that I lead different events from time to time. Normally, leaders would lead the same event from month to month, but I fill in whenever someone was needed. This gives me the opportunity to volunteer at lots of different events. Some of my favorites are The Gathering Place (Read my posts about TGP here and here), Treasure House of Hope, and Project C.U.R.E.. Each event gave me the opportunity to make an impact in different ways!
3) Connecting with the nonprofit partner
One major difference between attending events as a volunteer and as a Kynd Leader is that I have more contact with the nonprofit partner. This means taking with the nonprofit’s volunteer coordinator to learn more about what they need done. It is a great chance for me to learn more about the nonprofit. It also makes the work that I do with the other volunteers seem so much more meaningful.
4) Specialized set of skills
There are some events where I have only led once and others where I have been back multiple times. With these repeat events, I get the chance to get really good at certain tasks. For example, at The Gathering Place I have often been on pancake duty and am now very good at making perfect pancakes. With Project C.U.R.E., volunteers sort donated medical supplies into numbered bins to be sent to other countries. After a couple of events there, I got the hang of it and am now much better at using the search tools to find the correct bin. I can even remember which bin the catheters go it! These may seem like small wins, but it really does feel amazing to show up to an event and be a total boss.
5) With great power comes great responsibility…
As cliche as it sounds, it is true: being a Kynd Leader means having more responsibility at events than you do as just a volunteer. It can seem daunting, especially if you’re young and most of the volunteers are older than you. I was so nervous at my first event, but I really didn’t have anything to worry about. The things like getting to events early, checking in volunteers, answering questions, delegating and coordination, and taking pictures are just a couple of the extra jobs that the Kynd Leader does. It can be a lot of fun to have that extra responsibility! And nothing feels better than the end of an event when everything has gone smoothly and I know that I’ve done a good job.
6) Documenting the impact
One of a Kynd Leaders’ jobs is to take lots of pictures at events and talk to interested volunteers about potentially being interviewed for this blog or recording a testimonial video. I used to write for my school newspaper, so taking photos at events to document the experience was right up my alley! Even if you’re not a former reporter, there is something very satisfying about snapping before and after photos and goofy group pictures.
7) Lead the impact
One of the biggest differences that I noticed between attending volunteer events as a volunteer versus a Kynd Leader was that it feels so much more fulfilling to have played a leadership role in making an impact. Volunteering in general always makes me feel great, but interacting with other volunteers and leading events is an absolutely amazing feeling!
Ready to become a Kynd Leader? Check out the information page to get started! All you need to do is go through some easy online training, chat with someone at Project Helping to answer any questions you have have, and pick which event you want to lead.
Not ready to make the jump? No worries! Sign up to volunteer here.