volunteer

Not Volunteering Due To Lack Of Time? Here Is How To Stop Making Excuses

CHICAGO - SEPTEMBER 10: Seventy-three-year-ol...

Would you love to volunteer for a charitable cause? Nine out of ten persons would answer in affirmative but will come up with excuses or reasons why they cannot commit time immediately. Well, you will never have time to volunteer for a noble cause. Let us face it, we all like to live life to the fullest and rarely, if ever, have free time in our hands. If you are going to wait until you have free time in your hands to charity, you will have to wait forever.

People counter this by pointing out that it is not fair for those who are needy for an individual to commit time but not to fulfill the commitment at a later date. Definitely. To promise something and to back out at the last moment is not the hallmark of a decent individual.

When the promise has been made to help certain needy persons, it becomes even more important to fulfill the same properly. However, what is the point of hiding from commitment simply because you feel you may not be in a position to fulfill it?

After all, how difficult can it be to take one hour to take out of your busy schedule in a week? Many persons point out that they may be in a position to take out an hour immediately but may not be in a position to do so next week.

Why always think of the future when it comes to committing to a charitable cause? The fact that you can give one hour of your precious time today is what matters. Who knows whether tomorrow may exist or not?

Filed Under: General, Seasonal Volunteering Tagged With: Charitable organization, Leisure, volunteer

Recent Grads: Why Not Volunteer?

Recent college graduates are entering the workforce at one of the worst economic times the United States has ever seen. Employment is down and while experts believe jobs are making a come-back, it’s happening at a snail’s pace. But as a new entrant into the workforce with little work experience and a mound of student debt, this news is of little comfort. However, new jobseekers should keep their spirits up – volunteer work could be the saving grace on their novice resume. Taking a job to pay the bills doesn’t have to mean a lapse in experience. Volunteer with an organization that’s closely related to what you’d like to be doing. For example, spending a few hours each week offering administrative support to a non-profit company could eventually lead to full-time employment. And even if it doesn’t, the experience will make your resume shine and may yield some great work references and networking opportunities. For those looking for more financial stability and a long-term volunteer position consider one of these programs geared toward younger volunteers seeking to gain professional skill sets while helping out in high-need communities.

City Year

City Year places “Corps Members” in positions for ten months in youth leadership programs. This program gives volunteers the ability to get to know a new city through its youth programs while making a difference. Cities to choose from include: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, San Jose, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

National Civilian Community Corps

A division of Americorps, the NCCC offers work areas that range from education to cleaning up the environment for volunteers aged 18-24. A commitment of ten months is required and work is split up into 6-8 week assignments. Room and board, a small stipend for living expenses and some student loan forgiveness are among the benefits of joining the NCCC.

Filed Under: Volunteering Tagged With: Americorps, United States, volunteer

The Handyman and Volunteering

An excellent volunteer opportunity for those skilled with tools is handyman work. The opportunities service local needs and involve all kinds of projects.

Hanging Gates and Clearing Brush

People think of handyman work as repairing decks, fixing faucets and putting up paneling. However, the opportunities can also involve clearing brush from a property, helping to perform controlled burns in wildfire areas and cleaning up public areas such as dog runs. The skill sets are also varied, from plumber to auto mechanic and from carpenter to computer technician.

Finding the Opportunities

Just about all volunteer opportunities are local, although national databases are available on the Internet. Surfing the web for opportunities can be done at most public libraries if the volunteer does not own a computer. For those who like to do things the old way, perusing the Yellow Pages for nonprofit organizations and giving them a call will build a network into the available opportunities. Public librarians can help out if the prospective volunteer gets stuck.

Volunteering to Build Customer Contacts

Handymen are often in business for themselves. Volunteering is an excellent way to make contacts and display skills to people who may want to hire the services later on. Just the act of volunteering raises the estimation of others, and performing high-quality work could very well lead to more business down the road. If nothing else, building a more expansive network of contacts can only help build the business.

Volunteering for the Fun of It

The other side of volunteering is the feeling of having given back to the community. Many people volunteer only to gain this satisfying experience, and handymen are no different. This of course includes handy women as well. Anybody skilled with tools is needed and appreciated in the volunteer world. Gender is hardly ever an issue.

While often overlooked when considering volunteer work, handymen are in high demand for many different tasks and projects.

Filed Under: Community, Volunteering Tagged With: Handyman, Philanthropy, volunteer

Volunteering: Keeping on Your Toes

Emma Dark’s passion in life is dance. When she was born, she faced developmental problems, but to the surprise of many of her doctors, she has exceeded well beyond their expectations. Emma wins people over with her drive and determination. She was a candidate for VSA New Jersey Arts Achievement Award. While Emma has overcome obstacles in life, and has had success, she does not stop there. Emma has put her talents to use, by helping others learn to dance.

Emma participates in the pathways program for children with special needs. Each week she volunteers for ten hours as a dance assistant at the YMCA and the Madison Community House. She works with children ranging from the ages of three to ten. Helping these children does not feel like work to her, she thoroughly enjoys it.

Emma would also like raise money for the Special Olympics Area 3 Swim Team as her mother has done. Her mother, Rosemary gets people in the community to make handmade scarves, which she then sells them at Bottle Hill day. It is clear that her mother has set a good example for Emma to follow.

Emma feels that volunteering is her calling in life, and has combined that with her love of dance. There are countless children who she has helped get into position, and helped with tap and ballet work. Emma is probably not even aware of the positive influence that she has had in the lives of many for years to come. And her story will inspire many more to be an influence for good just as she is. To have made a difference already, being just a senior in high school, it is clear that she will do so much more.

Volunteering has an impact on those who are serving and also those who are giving that service. Certainly, Emma will continue to help other youth learn to keep on their toes.

Filed Under: Community, Volunteering Tagged With: United States, volunteer, YMCA

Volunteer Vacations – A New Trend in Giving Back

Volunteer vacations are a growing trend in the travel industry. This unique travel opportunity allows individuals to combine a traditional tourist experience with the benefit of a volunteer experience by giving back to the local community. This type of volunteering can be completed by individuals, groups of friends or even families. Some couples are choosing to spend their honeymoon on a volunteer vacation.

There are many benefits to a volunteer vacation. First, it will allow you to see a new area through the eyes of a local resident. Most vacations will not show a local culture through the unique perspective that you will find with this type of travel. Next, this of vacation will allow you to give back and help others by using your talents and skills in a different setting, which many decribe as a life changing experience. In addition, people who take travel for volunteer work will incur less costs than a traditional vacation. Many aspects of the trip might also be tax-deductible.

Another benefit of a volunteer vacation is the positive impact it will have on your health, including lower stress leves, increased self-esteem and greater self-confidence. Helping others feels good, and those who give back to others will feel valued and appreciated. This type of traveling can help boost your professional resume and provide real world experience. Finally, volunteer vacations offer many opportunities for social interaction, both with other volunteers and local citizens.

Finding a volunteer vacation opportunity is easy. There are a variety of charitable organizations that offer this type of travel program. There are also many online websites that provide lists of volunteer vacations and allow you to search through these options based on your indivudal interests. When deciding to give back, take the time to learn more about these unique volunteer vacation opportunities and make a difference in the lives of others while experiencing new cultures.

Filed Under: Seasonal Volunteering, Volunteering Tagged With: Travel, volunteer, Volunteer travel

Volunteer Opportunities for Children

Volunteering is a wonderful way for children to help others, gain life experience and meet new people. It can also be a great way to beat boredom. Many children are encouraged to volunteer by their families, religious group or friends. Some schools even require volunteer work for graduation from high school. No matter what the reason, volunteering can make a big impact on the children giving back as well as the individuals they are helping. Here are seven ideas on how children can volunteer.

1. Libraries need volunteers to work the desk, shelf books, assist with community programs and help with fundraisers.

2. Homeless shelters look for volunteers that can help prepare meals, distribute supplies, perform administrative duties, organize food drives and gather contributions of meals and clothing.

3. Food banks serve meals to people in the community that can not afford to put dinner on the table. They need help managing inventory, cooking food, serving meals and washing dishes.

4. Senior citizen centers and retirement homes have many opportunities for children. Volunteering can be as simple as spending time with the residents by playing cards or checkers, running bingo games or sharing stories.

5. Animal shelters need assistance caring for the pets and preparing them for adoption. Children can help by cleaning cages, walking the animals or playing with them.

6. The Ronald McDonald House is an organization that provides temporary accommodations to families who have sick children who are being treated in a local hospital. Almost every city has one of these houses or a similar organization. Children can volunteer in many ways, including fundraising activities to cover the expenses of the charity.

7. Habitat for Humanity is an organization that builds houses for low income families. Although children may not be permitted to perform all construction tasks, the children can help by recruiting volunteers, serving refreshments to helpers and other administrative types of duties.

Filed Under: General, Volunteering Tagged With: Philanthropy, Ronald McDonald House Charities, volunteer

Starting a Family Volunteer Night

: Image via Wikipedia

Many families spend time volunteering at Thanksgiving. During the holidays, there are many remindersâ€”ads, public service announcements, and people outside the mallâ€”to help us remember to help those in need.

Volunteering at the holidays is a wonderful tradition, but what will happen for the rest of the year? The same people who face poverty and hunger in the holiday season still have the rest of the year ahead of them and non-profit organizations that serve them still need help.

One of the best things parents can do is to start a tradition of volunteering as a family once a week. It can be for one cause or local organization that really matters to themâ€”like a local soup kitchen that always needs help preparing or serving dinnersâ€”or a different organization each week to allow each member of the family to select a place where they would like to donate their time.

For most families, giving the gift of their time adds up to more than they would be able to donate in money. Non-profits are understaffed, particularly in bad economic times, and can almost always find a place for additional help.

Many websites, like Volunteer Match at http:www.volunteermatch.com can help you to identify the right opportunities and the right contact information for places near your home. They also have categories of age appropriateness to help choose tasks where even small children can begin to participate.

Putting volunteer time on your weekly calendar will help it happen all year long. When itâ€™s a set day of the week and a set time, people will be less tempted to forget or to postpone for other obligations. They can begin to plan on it and schedule around the evening that they know they will be volunteering. Volunteering as a group can also be a great way to spend time with your family and bond with your kids while helping others in your community.

Filed Under: Seasonal Volunteering Tagged With: Christmas and holiday season, Family, Meal, Non-profit organization, Philanthropy, Soup kitchen, Thanksgiving, volunteer