Is anyone a volunteer?

Question

I would like to get involved in my community but am not sure where to start. If you volunteer, what type of work do you do? How did you go about becoming a volunteer? How did you decide what type of volunteer work to do?
Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

There are a thousand ways to volunteer. Go down to your local animal shelter and tell 'em you'd like to volunteer to walk the dogs and help clean the cages. Or go to your nearest veteran's hospital or home and ask to see the director of volunteer services and ask how you can help out on a volunteer basis. Or go to your church's pastor and ask about volunteering to help look after the very young children during Sunday services. Or find out who your local Girl Scout leaders are and ask if you can join Girl Scouts - they're famous for volunteering around the community. So do Campfire Girls. There y'go, hon - five easy ways to be a volunteer. Pick one and go for it - your community will bless you and you'll feel like a million bucks!

Answer 2

I'm a volunteer at my local library (on my own) and I used to volunteer at an old folks' home (part of a school program) last year.
I chose to volunteer at the library because I wanted to give back to this special place which has contributed a great deal to my growth and development. I've been visiting that library since I was 6 months old (mum brought me there of course). I just felt the time was right to give back to the library.
I've experienced immense satisfaction while volunteering there. It was not just about shelving books- I interacted with other library users and recommended books for their reading pleasure. The children at the library are really sweet too.

If you want to volunteer, you should be clear on why you want to volunteer, who exactly are your target groups (eg. library users, old folks, orphans etc) and then narrow down the organisations that are involved with the target groups you want to help. After that, just give the organisation/group a ring and ask if its possible for you to volunteer there.

You might also want to look into volunteering to increase your exposure to a certain field you'd like to work in in the future. For example, if you're interested in working in the medical field in the future, you might want to volunteer at a clinic or hospital. You'd be able to learn more about your potential job and help people at the same time.

All the best! I hope you derive much satisfaction and meaning from your volunteering experiences! =)

Answer 3

I volunteered in the church that I joined when I moved into this little town I've moved into. They needed teachers and they needed someone to help with the kids. I am good at these things.

You can volunteer for Big Brothers/Sisters. Or at the hospital. Or to deliver meals for Meals On Wheels. Or you can go to your Community Action Agency. Maybe volunteer to drive people to their doctor appointments. Or drive elderly folks to the store, or shop for them. You can help with 4H. Maybe visit in nursing homes.

Many, many more things are out there. Start by phoning the Health Dept or the Salvation Army, or a center for the elderly. Or a Boys and Girls Club.

Ask at these places. I am sure that they will give you many more ideas than I have.

Volunteers are always needed. Also, it's very rewarding.

Answer 4

Good for you for wanting to give back to your community! There are many ways to volunteer. The best way to decide what you want to do is to consider what you enjoy doing most. Do you love to read? Consider volunteering at your local library. Someone there should be able to help get you in touch with people who will be happy to have you help children or adults learn to read. Do you love animals? Your SPCA is looking for you! And don't forget your local hospital...

I volunteer for a program called "No One Dies Alone" through a local hospital. NODA volunteers sit with people who are dying in the hospital and who don't have family or friends who can be with them in their last hours. It was an opportunity I heard about when the program was featured in the newspaper. I used the contact information listed in the article to get started.
There are a couple of reasons why this was for me, and honestly they're pretty selfish. First, I felt called to volunteer but have two kids and was working full-time during the day, which seriously limited my availability. Second, I wanted to be able to do something that would really force me to grow in a way useful to those I serve as a minister. NODA fills both of those "wants" for me. I am able to volunteer at odd hours, and sitting with the dying has taught me an amazing amount about humanity and about myself as well. I believe I am a better person today because of the things that the dying have taught me in the last six months.

Answer 5

I volunteer in a soup kitchen. A lady in my church decided to start it and I love to cook and I was always good at serving people, so that was the perfect thing for me to get involved in. I've been with it from the start. I would suggest thinking about what you like to do. What kind of volunteering you think you'd be good at, then call around to local churches and possibly the Dept. of Human Services or Children and Families and ask if they know of any places to volunteer in your area.

Answer 6

I would recommend that you contact your local volunteer center. They can provide all sorts of one-time or short-term volunteer activities that match your interest and meet real community needs as well. All you have to do is contact them, and they can get you started quickly.

Through my volunteer center, I tutor children at the local library, enhance visitor experience at the local museum, package food at the local food bank, and a lot of other diverse projects. I typically volunteer when I have time on the weekends and after work when it is convenient.

Check out your local volunteer center through the following links:
http://www.handsonnetwork.org/our-network/
http://www.pointsoflight.org/centers/find_center.cfm

The other option is to try the local chapter of the United Way. They also specialize in volunteer placement:
http://national.unitedway.org

Good luck!

Answer 7

I volunteer, at school, at an assisted living center, and at a hospital.
The first thing to do is to either head over or call the place your interested in. Ask about minimum age, and other requirements (some places require a minimum number of hours)
I decided that i like working with people so i wanted to work at a hospital, one of my friends likes working with kids and is good at sports, so she helps out a young sports league. Another one of my friends likes working with animals so she volunteers at the vet's. Make sure that you can get recommendations from teachers or other people you know because some places may require it. Most of all do something you enjoy that benefits others!

Answer 8

Well: I am an member of "Kiwanis Clubs International Orginization where we'd help in Sponsoring 1Community
also Building them for our 1Child at a time & yes join the
group of Volunteers they do alot like fund raisers see
1Unicef
2United way
3 American RedCross
4 Veteran's Retirement Center
5 Loma Linda Children's Hospital
6 Rose Float Builders
7Kiwanis Key Clubs International

Answer 9

Go to your cities website. One their web site they will likely have a link to volunteer opportunities. If they do not, just go to a local retirement home, or hospital and let them know you want to volunteer. Our elders deserve our respect, and are wonderful wells of insight, and knowledge. Just spend time visiting a lonely elderly person. Some of my best friends are 40 years older than me! At the very least, you can buy yourself an orange day glow vest, and pick up on the side of the road.

Answer 10

Check out these websites. They will give you a list of opportunities in your area that will work for you. Every organization needs someone to help with stuffing envelopes, getting donations, working special events, etc. Good luck and enjoy the time volunteering.

www.NetworkforGood.org
www.DoSomething.org
www.BetheCause.org
www.VolunteerMatch.org
www.VolunteerSolutions.org
www.Volunteer.gov
www.TheVolunteerFamily.org

If you are interested in starting a charitable cause of your own, check out www.WorldVision.org. They specialize in helping people in developing countries to learn a new skill that would support their family, getting cattle and livestock for villages, buying children school supplies, etc. Request a catalog and check out the section on how to operate your own fundraiser to support WorldVision.

Also check out the Yellow Pages under Charities, Animal Shelters, Religious Organizations, Red Cross, Salvation Army, and Social Services. There are so many places that need people, even if it is only 1 afternoon a week!