Volunteering
There is one go-to for spending my time that never, ever seems to fail: volunteering. Perhaps part of it is the fact that whenever I volunteer somewhere, I get the satisfaction of knowing that I’m making a difference in the community. Or perhaps it’s the sense of connection that comes specifically from working together with a group of people to accomplish a goal. Whatever the reason, volunteering is a fantastic way to meet new people, help others, and accomplish something meaningful you can also put on a resume.
Here’s a list of general places that you might be able to volunteer!
Animal shelters. If you love animals, this might be the perfect place for you. Animal shelters are often looking for volunteers to help with the clean up and maintenance that all animals need. If that’s not available, you may be able to put in some time helping the animals acclimate to human attention with socialization. Basically you get to spend time petting them, brushing them, playing with them, or taking them on walks. It’s a volunteer dream come true.
Soup kitchens. You may have to call around to your local churches to find where the local soup kitchens are located. Once you’ve found them, all you have to do is ask if they could use another pair of hands to help cook or serve their meals!
Food banks. This is a volunteer opportunity that’s perfect for almost any age span as much of the work involves stocking shelves and organizing or distributing the food that comes in. Last year, my ten year old and I spent a few hours one afternoon helping get one of our local food banks ready for the Thanksgiving rush. It’s one of the few options that can accommodate groups instead of individuals. Want to volunteer with your whole family or a group of friends? That probably won’t be a problem. Call up your local food bank or hop online and see what needs they are currently trying to meet.
Retirement homes. The type of volunteering you’d be doing at a retirement home would depend on the home itself but much of it may be socially based. You might be surprised to learn how few elderly residents have regular visitors. Loneliness is the name of the pandemic here. Unfortunately, sometimes the relational needs of the elderly are the last to be addressed. Employees are too busy and have too many responsibilities to just sit and chat. That’s what makes volunteers in retirement homes so important.
After school tutoring. Thanks to the Covid pandemic, our entire educational system could use as much help as it can get, kids and teachers included. You can always consider giving up some of your time to help students in grades lower than you catch up through after school tutoring. This is also one volunteer opportunity that can turn into paid work if you take it seriously and do a good job. As a high school senior, I found consistent work helping several families with some after school tutoring.
For more ideas on places to volunteer, see the link below!
Link: https://www.localwise.com/a/295-do-a-world-of-good-15-best-places-to-volunteer
Challenges/Points:
Volunteering may not be considered a standard hobby, but it’s an excellent use of time.
There are volunteer opportunities for almost every age group.
Some volunteering can turn into paid work, and it can all go on a resume.
Questions:
Have you volunteered with an organization or group before?
Where would you most like to volunteer if given the choice?
This week, can you find one volunteer event to invite others to join in on with you?
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