What are your core reasons for giving? (Interview with Sara La Rocca)

​In this 3-minute video, Sara La Rocca, a volunteer at various nonprofit organizations in Singapore, shares her core reasons for giving, how she uses her influence to bring people to volunteering space and the skills that are helpful for communities looking for volunteers.

​Joanna: So Sara, I'm curious to know what your core reason is for giving?​​

Sara: We were struggling a bit financially as a family,, but my parents never said no to me when I wanted to study something. They saw that I was passionate about something, and they made every sacrifice possible to make that happen. I think the lesson to learn for me was it doesn't matter how easy you think you are or how limited your resources could be, you can still do something for someone else.

It doesn't matter how much you can give. But that bit or that extra small effort for you could make such a significant impact for someone else. You really don't know how much that small gesture can impact somebody else's life. I mean, maybe it's not a significant impact, perhaps it's a small impact. I may not know, but yeah, never underestimate how significant an impact you can have. I think that's it.

Joanna: That's great. The legacy that your parents have passed on to you, you’re like now passing on to people around you.

Sara: I don't think I can trace it to anything else.

Joanna: That's great. I will keep that in mind as well–to live a very meaningful legacy to our children, or now our child.

Joanna: I was going to ask how you use your influence to bring people to the volunteering space?

Sara: I'm volunteering people to volunteer basically.

Joanna: I agree, that is a great way to do it.

Sara: Yea, I think when I see an opportunity for someone I know to come in and also share something, then I would try to get them involved. I think it's just providing a platform because that's what people need. They may have the skill, and they may not even believe that there is such an opportunity out there.

So if there is such a platform, it would be easier to find your way to volunteer out there. It's about linking those who need it to the ones who can give. I think the platform is very important there and I think it's what Giving is Social is also trying to do. Which is that added value in linking those two things up, otherwise, there is the need and there is the demand but they never meet. So whenever there is the opportunity, I'm happy to do that.

Joanna: That's great! What types of skills do you find or are very helpful for communities out there that are looking for volunteers?
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Sara: There is everything! Others would be planning and organizing events, organizational events and it could be in different roles, it could be like registration, it could be ushers. It's something that requires you to have some time and be there more than necessarily a specific skill. It varies from everything really, from photography to Zumba and cooking. There's everything that you can do. I volunteer as a translator, for instance.

Check out my other interviews with Sara La Rocca to learn about how you too can volunteer your skills where you are.

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Read other related blog posts

What are your practical tips for those who want to start their giving journey? (Interview with Sara La Rocca)

How do you pick a volunteering activity? (Interview with Sara La Rocca)

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