That is wonderful that you made the seniors day by talking to them and giving them an opportunity to share with you!
I can see why the lack of support from the volunteer organization to let you keep volunteering is making you want to give up volunteering completely.
You do not know whether it was due to you, or something else, so let it go, since there was not enough contact made to know the best person to ask for help in the situation.
I had to try several different organizations before I found one that fit my abilities, without being negatively impacted by my disabilities. I volunteer with the friends of the library, not in the actual library itself, but with the friends group.
I have worked in the school system, however, my anxiety spikes when the noise level gets above a certain level, so I had to give that up.
I worked in a senior center, and had to give that up when I was not able to work with a group of people due to my disability affecting their activities (they kept staring at me for some reason instead of doing the activity until I left the room).
I have worked with other groups for short periods of time, and kept track of what I enjoyed working with in each place. I also noted the parts that made me uncomfortable.
Maybe this will help you find a place that you can enjoy volunteering at, that can accept your disability as a part of you and work with you to improve your skills.

Good advice, mideyebrow. I truly empathize with onlyup. Gee....that made me so sad that you got treated in that way.

Am totally worn out from years of complete lack of understanding by planet Earth's "normal" residents. I keep mumbling, "What is 'normal?'" This group's membership seem far more sane than the rest of the world.

There are good places for us...so I encourage you, onlyup, to try again with something that might work. It is obvious that you touch people in very good ways, given what your trainers remarked.

Don't know what I am going to do. Sometimes feel really done with the regular run of folks. Am trying to do the very difficult--sell house, move etc. 900 mile back up North. I really think I would like to go back and work with veterans again. Did that many years ago.

Here's to us, my friends. Because others don't get us does not invalidate us...it's really more invalidating objectively of their ignorant behavior and thinking.

That's completely ridiculous on their part! I volunteer for 3 different organizations. I am an auxiliary police officer-can go on patrol and work details like community events, helping people park and cross the street. A lot of people come up to me and thank me while I'm working, which is nice. I'm also a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)-they get deployed to do rescue operations like weather emergencies, to do search and rescue, first aid, etc. I have never been deployed so it's just been training so far. And the most active volunteering I'm associated with is I'm a foster parent for the Animal Protective League. Right now I have a momma dog and her 11 puppies (which I got a couple days after they were born). I frequently foster very sick dogs from very neglectful/abusive pasts. I really love to see the difference from the day I get them to the day I take them back to the APL to be adopted. I've had some of the worst cases of mange they've had, where the dogs come to me w/ literally NO hair left on them, huge scabs all over their bodies, oozing blood and pus and flesh dripping all over. Their legs and paws and face swollen to 3x normal size from all the skin infections. They are shy and scared and sickly. When they leave they have all their hair, and are happy, playful dogs. One of my dogs is like the mascot for fostering now and was even on the news and I got lots of accolades for the good job I did with his recovery. So it's very rewarding.

Don't give up just because of these ungrateful idiots. Most volunteer organizations won't turn anyone down. And don't tell them about your disability, I personally don't think it's their business.

You shouldn't stop volunteering just because some idiot can't pull his head out. I'm sure it's a lawsuit thing, they just can't run the risk of what you might do. I see it all the time on the news and even at work, the discusions are so blatant... "Yup, he was a Vienam Vet & one day he just snapped. Thay all do that ya know?" I dam near snap right then, but I log it up to ignorance and move on. It wouldn't surprise me if someday I'll have to register as having PTSD, just like a sex offender or something.

Agent Smith has a point too, it really is none of their business. You might remind them of the Americans with Disabilities Act. You cannot be discriminated against because of your disability. You've already proven you can do the job, ask them if they want an ADA suit filed on them, see if they'd reconsider. Maybe even as a co-pilot for a year, etc. Make them PROVE you were turned down for some other reason. When they look at the cost of a long court battle, they might see things differently. Would your trainer vouch for you? This would help in court. Or ask the if instead of court, if they's prefer you just talked to several reporters, and maybe Fox News channel or CNN. Would make a great Dateline story. ;)

Dont deprive someone else of your help, or you of the satisfaction, just because some people cant get past this condition. I have a friend who spent 7 years volunteering to read mail and balance a checkbook for a blind person. When I asked him why, he said if I don't do it, they might get ripped off. He's a Vietnam Vet too. They never asked about PTSD, and he never said. Good luck. There are many many more places to volunteer, I'm sure you'll find one.

I made that mistake of telling people about my disorder too when before (when i still had money) i started doing something i really loved.

Every time i heard about a child abuse case i would fiind out at what DHR the child was in and i would send a nive present with a heart felt card to them.I did it to children in different states and i used to talk to the social workers and even foster parents.

Well as long as they thought i was a rich lady doing charity they were VERY NICE to me.But when i let them know i was a survivor myself and i lived with the aftermath of it tha is why i was so concern about these children they treated me totally different.

At times not even thanking me anymore and like it was a burden to get it to the children, and would not talk to me with the same respect.
Except for a few very few of them..................arseholes.

I would like to thank everyone that responded to all the people that responded to this topic. It made me feel better and think that I will find the perfect volunteer will come for me. I am actually gettting ready to get the nerve to call them back and ask questions. I feelike standing up for myself.....

Wow, I've just been newly DX with PTSD and bi-polar.. I would never had thought "normal" people would react like that, if in fact it is why you were dismissed. I can't volunteer yet cause I'm fighting for SSD but I will and I hope people don't react to me like that.. cause I will fight back! It's interesting to me what Barbarian said about having to register like you were a sex offender.. if that happened I would NOT be surprised. To me I would just say "that's figures"! and then being bi-polar are they going to think I'm gonna snap in a rage and go off on innocent people? Like I said , WOW!

I called them back just a few minutes ago and told them that I wanted to talk about what happened... Man was I scared, I have never really stood up for myself. It went well. It ended up that she was anxious because She heard great things about me by my trainers that she says never have had good things to say about trainee. She was upset too take a risk of losing a good volunteer. She said she was just getting ready to call me. WOW...........I did not expect that. So I start next week.

Congratulations Onlyup, You have just completed your first exercise in Assertivness. A+. LOL

I hope you enjoy your new job. I'm sure your clients will.

Seriously! Good job! I don't think I would have had the courage to do that. Yay for you !! :)

oh tats great you got the position :)

i was trying to volunteer at the womens center here awhile ago they council rape victims and are an advocacy agency for women

the said they really needed the help and that i had great availability (bc im on disability) but they never asked what my disorder was or anything

iw as doing office work for a couple of weeks and then they jsut never called me back

i didnt have the balls to call them so here i am being glad for you instead haha :) good job

Thank you. Man it was hard. I had a pretty good anxiety attack before I did it. But what a relief it was when I called.