The act of volunteering something of yourself is an unselfish way to give back to a community or charitable organization. It can be done independently or through being part of a social group or nonprofit charity. It can include donations of time, money, goods, or services. Even children are not too young to volunteer, as they can at the most basic level assist adults in walking a neighbor’s dog, picking-up stray trash around your area, or reading to nursing home patients. Older children can do those things alone, and also tutor peers, distribute flyers for an event, or participate in fundraising efforts such as car washes, toy drives, and bake sales.
Places to volunteer
Church/temple committees:
Some ideas include outreach, building up-keep, Sunday school, supplies, library, finance/stewardship, church board, and social committees. You might be able to suggest further committees based on the need in your place of worship.
Religious organizations:
There are nationally-known groups like the Salvation Army, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Christian Children’s Fund, American Bible Society, Christian Relief Services, Habitat for Humanity, Youth for Christ, or ADRA. People from all areas can volunteer by being part of their national or local chapters.
Educational committees:
This includes English, mathematics, science, or history groups promoting the importance of and recognition in those subjects and specific initiatives in scholarships, as with foundations in honor of philanthropists, athletes, and leaders.
School committees:
In addition to recognizing the more prominent educational groups, each school has their own set of committees run by staff, alumni, and parents, tailored to the school’s size and need. Included are the PTO, the PTA, an alumni association, finance, homecoming, and social committees.
Civic groups:
These are the groups that have no religious affiliation but are considered community and national nonprofits, such as hospitals, soup kitchens, libraries, museums, community-run recreational events and fundraisers, the Ronald McDonald House, UNICEF, United Way, the Red Cross, the Cheerful Givers, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
Medical research groups:
Aside from hospitals who partner in community events, they sometimes are also affiliated with medical groups devoted to promoting awareness of and financial support for the research of diseases and illnesses, such as with the March of Dimes, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, AIDS Fund, the Hospice Foundation of America, the Autism Society of America Foundation, Blindskills, Autoimmune Diseases Association, and Scoliosis Research Society.
Your neighborhood:
Your homeowner’s association or apartment complex might have several committees for you to join, in order to improve your neighborhood—such as the Neighborhood Crime Watch. Of course, you can also suggest other ways to participate, and ideas are generally welcomed.
Useful resources
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http://www.ccusa.org/ for a listing of Christian charities within the US.
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http://www.hmr.org/ for a list of health and medical research charities.
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http://www.takingitglobal.org/ to learn about ways to volunteer in your area and latest news on charities.
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https://www.volunteermatch.org/ to search a database of charities looking for national and local volunteers.
