<p>Tell us about the organizations you volunteer for (I’d add “and why”, although I suspect that will be obvious).</p>
<p>New empty nester here looking for a new opportunity. I currently volunteer for a children’s literacy program, and in the past have volunteered in a variety of capacities for arts organizations and (briefly) a food pantry. I’m looking for a way to meet people and give to the community. My day job keeps me pretty chained to a computer.</p>
<p>Looking forward to hearing what I know will be a wide variety of responses!</p>
<p>I used to volunteer a lot as a dog walker at the humane society. I also have helped to run fundraiser a for the American foundation for suicide prevention.</p>
<p>I work as a volunteer at a thrift store that benefits developmentally disabled adults. I love the work, and the people. I’m also on two commissions in my town…both volunteer positions.</p>
<p>Aside from the obvious (CC!), I work with a group of women once every weekday morning to make quilts for Lutheran World Relief (although I don’t belong to the church that they work out of). I’ve been pondering new possibilities, though, and one that has caught my attention is a resale shop we have in town that benefits a pet rescue organization. I know they could use my help!</p>
<p>I am on the board of the US COPD Coalition because it’s the 3rd leading cause of death, 2nd leading cause of disability in the US, and I have it and started a nonprofit because I couldn’t get any local or national organization to help patients in our state who have emphysema and/or chronic bronchitis. </p>
<p>My dad serves on the board for a bank, that a friend owns. He also is active on the board of the HS he graduated from decades ago.</p>
<p>I know folks who volunteer for JR League, League of Women Voters and other orgs they care about. One has helped with a local HOME for SRs and Catholic Charities.</p>
<p>I help make meals once a month for the local (rotating location) homeless shelter. I also substitute teach youth religion classes at church. If I had extra time I would volunteer at a school, museum, or library too.</p>
<p>I’m mentoring some local bright-but-poor inner city schoolchildren, with the aim of getting them into university </p>
<p>In the past, I volunteered on a city farm (with the animals, but also some of the inner city kids who came to the farm too) </p>
<p>I’ve also volunteered at my local animal shelter - which was a combination of office work and ‘socialising’ (i.e. playing with) some very cute puppies.</p>
<p>I find it hard to find time to consistently volunteer with working almost full time and still having a 15 year old son at home. I used to volunteer weekly at his school when he was in elementary. I was a substitute teacher, so his teacher could leave the room while I was there volunteering, even if it was just to use the bathroom. She couldn’t do that otherwise. I would grade papers and do bulletin boards while there.</p>
<p>And because of my daughter’s lung surgeries and asthma, I also fundraise for the Lung Association of Iowa twice a year, for their two major fundraisers. My son signs up to do their annual walk and annual stair climb, so I do what I can to help him. We have had yard sales, posted signs, talked with lots of people, and raised lots of money.</p>
<p>I volunteer as a sound steward with People for puget sound which has been absorbed into Earth Corps.
Also volunteer & fundraise for CCFA- ( Crohns & colitis foundation of america)
But cant forget, [The</a> Wishlist Foundation - a Pearl Jam fan nonprofit organization](<a href=“http://wishlistfoundation.org%5DThe”>http://wishlistfoundation.org)
:)</p>
<p>I volunteer with the local Humane Societies and a few bully rescues in Detroit fostering and transporting animals (mostly “bully” breed dogs). </p>
<p>I still volunteer with a sports organization that I used to be on the board for that serves under-privledged youth in Detroit and Detroit metro. </p>
<p>Other than that, I’m a mentor for several high schoolers and undergrads who either grew up like I did (high schoolers) or who want to pursue the same academic path I am (public health, women’s health, etc).</p>
<p>I’m the board chairman and executive director of Friendly Water for the World -<a href=“http://www.friendlywater.net”>www.friendlywater.net</a> I am also on the board of Friends of LAFTI, supporting land reform and housing efforts among Dalits (‘untouchables’) in south India. I am also on the Board of POGO - “Play on Greater Olympia” - which provides intensive (minimum 15 hours a week) of musical training to at-risk kids in Olympia. I am also the clerk of our Friends’ Meeting Right Sharing of World Resources Program, which brings issues of global inequality to members’ attention (and provides resources). Finally, I’m a heavy supporter of Coffee Strong, which provides counseling and other services to soldiers, recent veterans, and their families.</p>
<p>As a director of a children’s literacy program so great to see a few of you volunteer similar efforts - I so appreciate my volunteers!!!</p>
<p>Besides my daughters school, I have volunteered for our local public tv station at events, and our church festival. Also just joined a local women’s initiative that champions various education opportunities for children.</p>
<p>Not empty nest yet but n my list at that point includes volunteering for a local theater ushering (and sneak peeking at productions!) and volunteering at a local non- profit that provides quality child care so that teen moms can finish school.</p>
<p>When my kids were in high school, I was president of the music parents association…for seven years. I was also a parent volunteer with a children’s choir.</p>
<p>College4k, Great thread! I’m in the SAME boat! I’ve taken these first few months for myself - taking some lessons at a craft I enjoyed before kids. The tricky part is finding something on weekends. The few opportunities that have interested me only want help during the week and I have a very stressful full-time job :-(.</p>
<p>I volunteer as a Guardian ad Litem. It feeds my desire to help children and has a “professional side” to it, ie I prepare written reports and put on a jacket and tie for court hearings. </p>
<p>I deliver meals on wheels (called Friendship Trays here in Charlotte) once per week because they really need drivers. It is somewhat mindless work and gets me out of the house. I used to spend a lot of time trading from home so I found that very isolating and this was a good way just to get out. People always give me a smile and a thank you when I deliver the meal, and sometimes “have a blessed day.”</p>
<p>I just got involved with an organization called Solace for the Children.</p>
<p>I work full-time but in reality work more than full-time (stay late, work weekends, etc). This summer a neighbor gave a plea for volunteers for Big Brothers and Big Sisters at a neighborhood potluck for National Night Out Against Crime. After the application and screening process, I just started last week. I was assigned to a child at the elementary school my children attended, which is just a few blocks from my office. I’ve gone twice now - it’s 30 minutes at lunch, and goes by very fast! My child is very sweet and talkative. And it’s good to get away, since I usually just eat at my desk and work during lunch.</p>
<p>In the past I volunteered for an organization called CERT – Community Emergency Response Team – which was established under FEMA after 9/11. When there was a catastrophe (e.g., bad storm with downed wires) in our community, I helped direct traffic away from the problem. After a few years I finally resigned. It did not match my interests or skills.</p>
<p>I have occasionally volunteered to help women in the Dress for Success program. I’m probably going to resign that too, as I have lately begun working again and am not able to help out during the day.</p>
<p>Finally, several years ago I started mentoring a HS girl through a United Way program called WiMentor. The nifty thing about it is that you are mainly emailing your mentee, so it only takes around half an hour a week and can be done any time of the night or day. There are a few in-person meetings per year, but most are voluntary. My original mentee has moved on (as has her HS – one of the worst in the state) and this year I’ve been assigned a new mentee from a different HS.</p>
<p>Thank you for all the responses! I love hearing about how everyone is giving their time and talents for the benefit of others.</p>
<p>I have the same challenge several people have raised, which is that I work a lot of hours and can not be available during the day other than for the children’s literacy program I read for (that is during lunch hours, and it is SO difficult to leave the office). </p>
<p>I have looked into two ideas that were named. One is to volunteer for our city’s Art Center (symphony, theatre, art museum), but they require weekends of course, and several times a year I need to go out of town on weekends to see my older daughter perform. The other is our local Humane Society, where my younger D used to volunteer. But again, they close at 7:00 p.m., so getting there on weeknights after the office with any time left to volunteer would be pretty impossible. Weekends of my choosing would work there, though, so that may be the way to go. I am so NOT one of those people who does things half-way, so if I’m going to do it I really want to be in it all the way.</p>
<p>Keep the stories coming! I love hearing all these inspirational ideas.</p>
looking for a new opportunity. I currently volunteer for a children’s literacy program, and in the past have volunteered in a variety of capacities for arts organizations and (briefly) a food pantry. I’m looking for a way to meet people and give to the community. My day job keeps me pretty chained to a computer.</p>