I volunteer at my local library.
I started a nonprofit and volunteer most of my time and resources to it because we don’t have money to pay folks to do what needs to be done. I enjoy it and meet a lot of people through it. I don’t have a whole lot of energy to volunteer for much more, so it works for me.
People, you all are doing some fine, good, valuable work here. Kudos sincerely!
At my job, I HAVE a lot of volunteers. I always tell them: "volunteering is a two way street - we should be right for you, and you should be right for us. " That said, I also always tell them, "the great thing about volunteering is that you can do one thing for awhile and then move onto something else if you wish - you are not building a resume so to speak - do what motivates you to “do”! I do not want a volunteer to ever feel obligated to stay - like you might at a job!
I work full time but volunteer at our local community garden/used book center. I’ve also done volunteering for local library events and our local public television station.
You guys are amazing!! I’ve never volunteered other than once in awhile…I do volunteer on our neighborhood association but it’s not the same as what you are doing.
I’ve filled out an application for Dress for Success and they will get back with me for the info meeting. What do you do when you volunteer at the library?
Someone wise once advised me to volunteer at an activity that uses your unique skills instead of doing something that anyone can do. That will keep you interested.
I started volunteering when I was in high school, and have never been without some type of volunteering in the years since, and I’m 63! I started off as a volunteer camp counsellor in our community and I was a candy striper at our local hospital. In college, I volunteered on the pediatric ward of the hospital close to campus and I did some volunteer work with a literacy organization. I periodically worked at a food bank in those years, too.
As an adult, I have done all kinds of volunteering, some of which I will probably neglect to recall. I’ve continued to work with literacy groups; during the years when my kids were young, I spent probably 20 hours a week volunteering at their schools; I’ve done ‘buddying’ with AIDS and HIV positive patients; I drove seniors to appointments and participated in a visitation program; I spent years as a convenor at our local soccer club which has ~15,000 players and still do occasional work with new convenors and with team-building and balancing in the spring; currently I volunteer with our United Way office in a committee which reviews and assesses new agencies who are requesting funding, I work two days a week at our local hospital and one day at a hospice; and for many years, I have been volunteering as a board member with a theatre company, in addition to participating in auditions, producing, etc. And I assist a few high school students and their families each year in the college admissions process for kids who want to pursue theatre.
My H has also given hundreds of hours a year various organizations, including being a member of the United Way cabinet, a hospital board member, and committee member. Our Ds were raised with the expectation that they volunteer and give back to their community, and all have done so and continue to do so as young adults.
Same. The summer before our kids started high school I told them to find one volunteer opportunity to try. Two of them did it at the hospital I work at (but not with me) and one volunteered at the library. And then volunteering branched off from there for them.
If you feel you don’t have a lot of time to volunteer, there are often one-time events to volunteer for.
I serve on the board of a local non-profit. As I work full-time, I find the evening meetings fit in well with my schedule and it’s an organization I am proud to be associated with.
I do a lot of volunteering at my synagogue, preparing lunch for everyone following services. My kids and I also did a lot of volunteer work at a local nursing home, entertaining the residents and serving them tea and cookies.
A number of years ago I volunteered with an organization called College Summit. They take inner city kids, seniors in high school, to a beautiful college campus for a 4-5 day “bootcamp.” In small groups, the kids work on turning out their college essay. They also leave with a list of schools to apply to. I lead one of the essay writing groups. I had no prior experience. Volunteers go through intensive training the first day.
I took that training back to a local high school which has a large first generation, low income population. I volunteered there for a whole school year, working with seniors on their common app essays. Now I actually work there doing the same thing.
For those interested in providing 3 hours week of respite care for caregivers, you might want to check out this alzheimers respite training program. I’m on the list to be trained ( one day training) as soon as they have 10 people signed up.
https://www.alz.org/care/alzheimers-dementia-caregiver-respite.asp
Thank you all so very, very much. And my hat is off to all of you wonderful volunteers. You’ve given me a lot of ideas!
Sure do…and I love it.
- Charity thrift store that benefits developmentally disabled. Great group of people, and profits support a worthy cause. They accept volunteers for once monthly and up. Very flexible.
- Member of my town Economic Development Commission. Meets monthly. Additional subcommittee work. I love it!!
- Board member for education foundation for our high school.
- Officer of service group.
- Not volunteer,,,,but I'm also a poll worker for,the elections on our town.
I finally have time to do these things…which I like.
Main volunteer activity: I am in charge of the Bookclub at the local library. I’ve done this since 2007. Many people read far more books than I do, but I handle organizational stuff. I keep the group meetings flowing.
In a smaller way, I help,with foster kids . I love working with teens and college students, and consider much of this work unpaid labor so far love.
Bookworm that is exactly what I do at my library - help run the book group! I have also helped with shelf reading at the library (where you put the books in order that are out of order on the shelves.) I sometimes help out at children’s library events also!
Kiddie, I’d love to help with kiddie groups Sounds like fun
I work for a company which greatly values giving back to our community so I have many opportunities to volunteer t throughout the year; when our children were younger we often included them in weekend volunteer events like park cleanups. I serve on the Board of a local nonprofit, but it is more related to my job than personal interest. I just this weekend told DH that I would apply to serve on our local library’s advisory board when I retire, and I’d like to work with children’s literacy programs. It’s something I am really looking forward to!
I have always volunteered at my kids schools. Right now, my only volunteer activity is with my D’s school (admissions, the library and athletics). In the past though I have done a variety of things (homeless, food-bank, reading to elementary kids, etc) and once my D is off to college I am looking forward to working with our local food pantry and the regional food bank among other things. Maybe Meals on Wheels when I retire.
When my kids were in elementary school, I spent a ton of time volunteering in their classrooms and in the library. Now that they are in college, I found two volunteer opportunities this year.
- At the Red Cross, helping to track the monetary donations that come in. I also do other projects in the office there if time allows.
- At a program in our city that provides emergency child care for those who need it. They could be infants all the way to age 14. It's for parents (usually low income single mothers) that have some sort of crisis and have no one to watch their children on a short term basis. Reasons include parents who are in the hospital, have another child in the hospital that they need to be with, are homeless, have a job interview, etc. The program is in a house with a couple of bedrooms, so we can keep children overnight if necessary.
I am a Red Cross Disaster Assistance Team volunteer. I get called out when local families are displaced due to home and apartment fires. We show up at the scene of the fire and provide financial assistance to assure that the families will have a place to stay and food to eat in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. (I distribute some of the money that @benreb in post 37 tracks.) It is incredibly rewarding - I get to be a conduit for all the generosity of the Red Cross donors. The clients are incredibly grateful for the assistance, and nothing beats knowing that they will have a warm, safe place to spend the night after a disaster.
When D was younger I volunteered at her school (when my work schedule allowed), but my biggest volunteer effort was through the Girl Scouts - I was a troop leader for 12 years. Loved the girls, hated the paperwork.
While working for Big Pharma, I volunteered in our school-outreach committee - I did science demos in elementary schools, judged science fairs at high schools, led hands-on science fairs for kids, and helped middle-school science teachers find grant money. I was on the steering committee for this group of volunteers, and it was awesome. Nothing like bananas, liquid nitrogen, and third graders!
When D went off to college I volunteered for a political party during the presidential campaign, which is so not me. I did phone calls and door-to-door canvassing. I probably won’t do THAT again - all the hatred and angry language!
I still do a lot of church work - Sunday school teacher, Deacon, usher, and most recently Clerk of Session.
Right now I’m kind of swamped working two different jobs and I’ve cut back on the volunteering. When I get my schedule under control, I’m thinking about working with the kitties at the Humane Society.