If you had the time and resources, what kind of volunteer work would you like to do?
I would LOVE to volunteer at the no-kill animal shelter right by our house. I would also LOVE to be a “running buddy” for the local Girls on the Run chapter.
I’ve filled out applications for both of these organizations and never turned them in. I worried I wouldn’t be able to make a huge commitment and disappoint someone. That’s kind of silly. Some help may be better than none!
The trainee group at my office organizes some philanthropy events. So far, most of them have been on the south side VERY far away from my home, but now they are taking about seniors bingo once a month near the city. That might be a fun way to spend an evening after work! (Yes, I’m serious)
I love that you wrote this. A lot of times I talk myself out of volunteering because I am afraid I won’t have enough time, won’t be good enough, whatever. That is really dumb because like you said, some help is better than none!
When I was in college and before I had kids, I used to volunteer at a homeless shelter (is that even still what they call them? I feel like there must be a more pc term to use for that now). It really made me appreciate the things/life I had. Now that my kids are getting older, I would love to get them into volunteering somewhere. We do send packages to soldiers and adopt children during the holidays to get gifts for so they are learning to give to others but I would like to do more.
That reminds me–I need to sign up for the Chemo Angels program again now that work has settled down. 🙂
I also would like very much to volunteer at 826Chi, which is a drop-in writing center for kids. They are the ones that hosted the Scrabble Tournament fundraiser last year. Unfortunately, it is pretty far from my house and the hours are limited (because they usually need people during or after school) so it’s almost impossible unless I find myself unemployed!
Every summer I also say I am going to look into summer reading programs for kids at the libraries. And then I forget. Doh.
I signed up for GOTR but never heard back from them…eek! Don’t know what that means :-/
I think you should go for it. I think you’d be great for either.
I would absolutely spend my time at a no kill animal shelter. My only worry is that I would wind up with a zoo at home 🙂
I used to volunteer a lot in both high school and college, but I have the same feeling (I think perhaps guilt) that I just wouldnt have enough time to give. It sounds lame when I type it out, but it works in my head.
I have been thinking for years about doing hospice volunteering. I was all trained in CA but then I moved here and never got to pick up a shift. I’ve looked into places here but their training times are ridiculous (all day on a Friday? WTF? I work!). I’m thinking of joining a 20-40 something volunteer group to meet people and volunteer at the same time. I need to expand my social circle and my horizons!
In college I volunteered at a no-kill shelter once a month. I would spend the day walking dogs. In fact, it’s where my first dog came from!
Now, though, like you, I feel as though I just don’t have the time. During the week I’m either working or working out from 8 AM until 8 PM. Then dinner and getting ready for the next day and then bed. Weekends are really my only time to decompress and catch up on my life, it seems.
I would work/play with developmentally disable kids. I would also like to cook for the homeless.
I could never work in a shelter because I would end up with each and every animal.
Ha,ha I’m with Christina, if I worked in a shelter, I would be the owner of 5,000 cats. and dogs. and whatever else they had.
I think I would like to do some sorta community based volunteering. We have a pretty decent sized park in the nabe that I wouldn’t mind doing some volunteer work in. I also read in the local paper how there are volunteer groups out there that work to preserve abandoned cementeries. Sounds really odd, but it really pulled my heartstrings when I learned that some cementeries in NYC fall by the wayside with overgrown grass; graffiti; knocked over headstones (!!)
I always think about signing up then never do anything about it. I feel the same way that you do!
I am so glad you found my blog- I love yours!
Is your Disney half in January or March? Either way we’ll have to do a meet-up!
I’d probably do something at a women’s shelter or hotline. I think. It’s a great question!
I used to volunteer at a local nursing home to help the residents play bingo. It was AWESOME. And the commitment was flexible. The residents LOVED IT. Bingo was the highlight of their week, so it was fun to be a part of it. I’ve also wanted to help with Girls on the Run, but it doesn’t work with my work schedule which SUCKS.
I heart bingo.
I tried to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, I have weekday free time, and it never worked out well, plus I was too shy to go by myself when there would be a ton of college kids. what a dork I am.
I am thinking the food bank…I really, really should look into that.
I want to own/run a no kill animal shelter. If I had lots of time and money that is what I would love to do. Although, I might have a hard time allowing people to adopt “my babies”. They would have to pass very strict requirements. 🙂 Unfortunately, because of the area that I live in there are not any no kill shelters close by to volunteer at. 🙁
I’d volunteer with an urban gardening group spreading green love all over (it makes a difference). Then I’m sure that I’d start working with people of all ages on creative development and how to take their ideas and turn them into a reality. Finally I would work with the architectural students at Hampton University on fundraising to help pay for the many expenses that they need to account for, I’d like to establish something that will continue to grow so that each year multiple participants get a supply scholarship.
and then just for kicks, I’d like to find a way to send random people to a day of spa like treatment ~ I’m first on the list 😉
Maybe start with one of them, and see how it goes? Or, if you’re worried about a time commitment, I bet that animal shelter could desperately use someone willing to foster animals while they wait for their permanent homes…
But then you run the risk of falling in love with all of them… 🙂
Those sound like excellent volunteer ideas!
Good question. I think I would choose to do something with kids. I don’t know what though. I admit that I’ve never looked into it before because I don’t even have enough time to do my own stuff. Maybe I’ll have to give it more thought.
We volunteer with a boxer rescue and foster/transport dogs. I wish I could volunteer at the shelter, but going in there breaks my heart so I don’t, even though I know it’s a big need. I think you should go for it and turn in your applications!
mine is up! A very good topic to talk about!
http://thefishgate.blogspot.com/2009/05/volunteering.html
I’d like to volunteer in a nursing home. Some of the older folks in homes get very few visitors. I’d read to them. I love to read out loud. I’d do whatever I could to get a smile out of them–I just wouldn’t sing. It might frighten them. It frightens me!
I actually went to coach training for GOTR, but they ended up assigning me to a place in Evanston-ish, which took over an hour to get to! I couldn’t get there from work in time because of the commute. I was so sad because I had been wanting to work with them for a really long time!
I always think about volunteering somewhere, but I’m also afraid that I won’t be able to fully commit or something. That’s obviously silly, but I don’t want to back out when I do something.
I’ve been reading in a recent Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan on the cover) about this mayor from Braddock, PA, a former coal town gone to crap who is trying to reinvent the town completely from scratch. I’d love to be able to help with that. But Braddock, PA is nowhere near Geneva, IL.
I posted my answer here: http://www.womenxplore.com/2009/06/friday-question-68.html