How to Volunteer to Help Others

Volunteering is an often overlooked after-effect of society – after work, play, children, and money. Many people just can’t grasp the importance of volunteering and how it affects people’s lives.

Here are some ideas if you are looking to volunteer and make a difference in your community.

1. Homeless Shelters – There are many homeless shelters that are constantly requiring additional volunteers to help clean the facilities, wash and fold donated clothing, sort and cook food, and help with administrative tasks. Be someone who helps others that cannot help themselves.
2. Habitat for Humanity – Help with the administrative aspect of having a home built or get directly involved with the building itself. Habitat for Humanity builds modest homes for families who would not be able to afford it on their own and requires as much hands as possible.
3. Family education centers – Help in a variety of settings based around families such as pregnant teenagers, young parents, and foster children. Sign up as a big brother or sister to help implement changes and make a difference in a child’s life.
4. Long term care facilities – There are always many different roles that need to be filled in long term care facilities such as assisting in dining or activities, washing and folding of laundry, and even simply visiting and being around the patients. You will experience virtually all the aspects involved in the long term care field but you’ll also be making someone’s day brighter.
5. Animal shelters – Local animal shelters often need help walking dogs, socializing cats, driving animals to and from appointments, and even with fostering animals with little ones. Because many people do not get their animals spayed or neutered, there is an ever increasing need for volunteers and donations to help this worthy cause.
6. City facilities – Many city run recreation and community centers often don’t have enough money to run certain elective programs. Volunteering doesn’t just include your time but expertise as well. Volunteer to be a children’s sports coach, or teach a musical instrument to a class. You will be rewarding people with the gift of knowledge, something that money can’t always buy.
7. Random acts of kindness – It doesn’t require a lot of your time, just a bit of creativity. Tape the exact change for a soda or treat on a vending machine. Pay for a coffee for the person behind you. Leave a card with an inspirational message in a neighbor’s mailbox. Thank someone for sticking up for what they believe in. Plant a tree. Donate blood. Buy books for a daycare.

There are many ways to give, not everything requires money. Use your imagination and try to make everyone else’s life as good as your own.