By Felicia Goeken
Volunteer Identification Program Coordinator
I once attended a very helpful conference and
received an autographed book titled Leadership and the One Minute Manager.
Above their autograph the three authors wrote, "Enjoy and Lead."
The overall theme of the message was sound: "Don't work harder, work
smarter."
I believe our newest upgrade of the Volunteer Identification Program
(VIP) takes that advise to heart. What we're doing offers a way to build
our right to life organizations, at all levels, by working smarter. Let
me explain how.
All successful organizations know that people have different talents. Some
people lead by giving direction, others by coaching; some operate in a supportive
style, while others are very good at delegating.
What matters is offering outlets that can channel and take advantage of
these varying gifts. Whichever category you fit into, rest assured that
the VIP can utilize your time and talents in a way that is maximally
beneficial to the cause of innocent unborn children.
Many of you are still returning the coupon found on this page to volunteer
as individuals. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your work is extraordinarily
important.
At the same time lots of others seem drawn to the idea of building a team
and working cooperatively. Four, five, six, maybe even ten of you are coming
together determined to make those invaluable phone calls within your own
zip codes, and survey more and more people. That is wonderful as well.
Using either format, as you make your calls, and ask questions from our
prepared script about the abortion issue, your excitement increases. And
why not? You never really knew how many people in your area were against
legalized abortion on demand.
Perhaps you thought yours was a lonely voice in opposition to the slaughter
of unborn children. Not so, you learn, as you dial up your friends and neighbors.
The more pro-life people you identify, the greater your sense of assurance,
the higher your expectations, and the more you want to "get into"
VIP.
What are you doing? You're working smarter, not longer, by bringing those
newly identified people into the local pro-life projects and programs that
need to be done in your own area. The more hands the better!
Working closely with NRLC's VIP office, 11 NRLC state affiliates
are now deep into the "team" effort. It all started with a few
individuals deciding to work smarter.
Having come to that conclusion, they contacted the VIP office here
in Alton, Illinois. Depending on the team's composition and talents, the
VIP office initiated the best method for them to productively work
with the NRLC state affiliate.
Do you have several friends, family members, or acquaintances with a telephone
and a strong desire to stop the slaughter of the innocents? Please remind
them of a most important thought: a single reason why you all can do something
is worth a hundred reasons why you all can't.
NRLC's Volunteer Identification Program (VIP) is a telephone survey conducted
in all 50 states with the cooperation of NRLC's state affiliates.
The survey is done either from home or from phone banks. VIP volunteers
are the primary strength of the project. Identified pro-life people are
then enlisted at the local and state levels to strengthen their organizational
efforts.