Volunteer

[homer]

Anyone here volunteer? If so, where? I'd like to....just looking for the right opportunity.

[tristarscoop]

Are you animal person? There are tons of rescues, shelters, etc... out there that need help. I personally work with a basset hound rescue and have done things from calling people who've applied for a dog to screen them to fostering dogs to writing for the website. A lot of shelters need people to walk dogs and play with them so that they aren't cooped up in cages all the time.

 

Are you involved/attached to a particular part of your ethnicity? I also volunteer with Irish Fest every year. They have opportunities throughout the year and you can contact them through their website and fill out the form to volunteer.

 

The best advice I can give is to make sure it involves something you enjoy. It won't feel like work or like you "have" to go do something.

[twobrewers]

Play sheepshead at a local assisted living home.

 

Coach a youth basketball team.

 

I'd highly recommend either.

[AmyintheSouth]

I'm a (kind of lapsed, unfortunately) Boston Cares member. They have versions all over the country though. Basically, it's one-off volunteering. You can sign up for as many or as few hours as you like and you're not obligated to do the same thing every time, though you can if you'd like. You can find your local affiliate here. I served brunch at an AIDS outreach facility, participated in a program that sends books to prisoners, and played Scrabble at an assisted living center, just to give you an idea of the variety of projects. (I'm not lapsed because I didn't enjoy it; mostly it's time and the stuff that piques my interest isn't nearby and I don't have a car.) But if you don't know what you want to do, it's a good way to try things out on your own schedule.

[TSack27]

Habitat for Humanity - and you don't even need to know how to swing a hammer, there are many opportunities to learn, provide a second set of hands, landscape, provide lunch, etc.

 

And if sports and/or outdoors is your thing, maybe a local summer camp or youth sports league needs some help.

[brewerjamie15]

I give blood on a regular basis if that counts as volunteer stuff. I give double red cell donations so I can only go every 16th week or so. It only takes about an hour.

 

I should check into that habitat for humanity thing. I could help out with that quite a bit.

[tristarscoop]

Hey, I put a roof on a Habitat House when I was in college. Some quick training and you're good to go, so don't think because you're not in construction you can't help...

[GAME05]

there's always assistant coaching for basketball or football if you're worried about the workload. i've reffed below-grade-9 basketball games before, and that was not only fun, but actually kinda tough. also helped set up chairs before the games started and my father worked the clock.

 

if you don't want the interaction as much, senior centers often need people to read the newspaper onto an audio cassette.

[Fatter than Joey]

I coach baseball and basketball. I also do some tutoring. Those are my favorite volunteer activities...

[ewizabeff]

I volunteer as a poll worker for elections. Looking forward to Tuesday...

[Baldkin]

Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Highly recommend it to anyone. Especially someone in their 20's. Yes, there's a pretty hefty application process, but its one of the most rewarding things I've ever done.

[craigharmann]

Church is a good place to volunteer at as well. Whether there's a church that has a food pantry or does afterschool care, or things like that, it's a great place as well.

[yoshii8]

I think the Special Olympics is a very good place to volunteer, I know the are always looking for people to help out.