struggle at volunteering

Great that you are volunteering. I've done various volunteer roles in the past 30 years, some more intense than others, at the moment I volunteer in a local park and it's brilliant, no politics, just "is this a weed?" or "where shall we plant that?". I don't really have to talk to anyone if I don't want either, as I can just say 'I'll go over there and do that'.

I've met some great people through volunteering,  in general most people who volunteer are sound (not all but mostly), so don't be afraid to say actually can I just get on with this. You may find some of your fellow volunteers have their own thoughts, issues or problems with self esteem - you already have something in common - you're all volunteering for the same place and you're giving the most precious thing you have - time, to do it.

Hullabaloo said:

And luckily, a majority of people are not like that

This is so true!

Growing up I was so worried that everyone was horrible because I had been bullied at school but most people are actually nice.

A great deal of the population have social anxiety so chances are a lot of people are probably as scared of interacting as we are lol.

Just be yourself. I know it's hard because you want to make this perfect but all you can do is be yourself.

If people laugh at you then don't worry about them....Don't even consider thinking about them or what they think because people like that aren't worth your time!

I feel sorry for people who are so insecure that laughing at others and making fun of them is their only way of feeling good about themselves.

That's sad.

Be yourself and have fun. Don't worry about what other people think, say or do. Talk when you feel comfortable but there's no pressure to do anything you don't want to.

You can also look up some tips for being social online like on YouTube. When I volunteered in a charity shop I did this and it gave me some good tips. 

Made the process a bit easier.

I hope it goes well for you. Please let us know if you need anything and how it goes.

In the past, you've had experiences where people embarrassed you, ignored you, and laughed at you, and that damaged your self esteem, and made you nervous to talk to people. It could also be that your autism made it hard for others to relate to you, because they could sense that you were different, and they treated you negatively as a result.

But the type of people who would embarass, ignore, or laugh at you,  are not the type of people you want to be friends with anyways. And luckily, a majority of people are not like that, and most people are kind and respectful of others, especially at a volunteer organization, where people are there to just help out. 

I would say to try and say hi at the very least. Try thinking about getting to know the other person, rather than thinking that they're going to treat you badly somehow. Think about just having a nice conversation with someone, hearing their stories, about why they are volunteering, about what their professions are, and what they hope to gain by being there. Things like that. I hope things work well for you. 

It boils down to: Do what you want to and what you need to.

Everything else is up to everyone else.

They can take you or leave you. Like you or dislike you. But this is the same of everyone in every setting.

Stop worrying about what you expect other people, to expect you to be like. And just be you. Who else can you be?

You might need help in understanding social situations, you might need to try to get a social worker or someone like that to help you. Good luck