Do you volunteer?

[Where'sPiglet?]

I have volunteered with an organization here in NYC called NYCares. You can choose ongoing or one-time projects and so I've done some one-time things multiple times (different stuff...pulling weeds in a park, taking kids from a shelter on an outing, volunteering at the zoo, etc...)

When I lived in Denver I volunteered with a group that ran an after-school tutoring/recreation program. I also volunteered with Young Life. They work with high school kids.

I've also done a little bit of work with Habitat for Humanity. I want to do more with them; I think what they do is GREAT!

 

[JVL1018]

I volunteer a lot, but it's just all stuff having to do with my kids.

I run the book fairs and gift fairs at the school, am a class parent each year, and run the ice cream fundraiser(every Friday), also help wherever else needed.
I was just elected treasurer of the Parents Association(mostly because no one else wanted it )-so next school year, I start that.
My husband and I help coach our son's baseball team and our daughter's softball team.
My husband is also a volunteer firefighter and that takes up a TON of time.

I'd love to volunteer at the library, but I don't knwo if they take volunteers-I see them asking for ESL tutors at the library but not people who volunteer to shelve books or whatever.

 

[kacaju]

no, the dogs are certified through a shelter here in NJ. They run their own therapy program. It is huge and they have visits scheduled every single day of the week to multiple places

 

[okeydokey]

Yes, at iur church, the kids' schools and our county's 4-H program. In fact, if you have a 4-H chapter nearby they would be an excellent resource in letting you know of local volunteer opportunities. Your local human services office would be a good place to ask also.

 

[LisaR]

I do, have all my life.

[shameless plug] I currently am with the Make A Wish Foundation. I am a Wish Granter, but also am on several event planning committees.

There are many organizations that you can volunteer for. Make A Wish is in desperate need of volunteers. I know in my area kids are on a waiting list because we do not have enough Wish Granters (all kids wil eventually be given their wish, but those whose life expectancies are much longer or who are not terminal at all will have to wait while those who have more dire prognoses are granted their wishes).

Wish Granters choose their wishes. While some wishes can be involved, you have control over how many you are doing at any given time. If you do not have the time or inclination to be a Wish Granter, we have plenty of other positions from clerical work to planning fundraising events. It truly is a wonderful organization.

[/shameless plug]

Do you do most of the work from home? I envision this requiring a lot of phone calls and emails but maybe I am wrong.

My DD (14) has volunteered for a few years now at Give Kids the World. She loves it! She wants to do it weekly but it is almost an hour and a half drive one way. DH volunteers with her and they just love the organization. They go once a month. I have been looking at ways for them to get involved with Make a Wish but that will also require the same amount of drive time. I wonder if there is are any volunteer options that she could work on at home? I wish we had more options in our town but aside from volunteering at the library, there aren't any opportunities for kids around here until they turn at least 16.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

It really depends on what you do. They do need people to help recruit for fundraisers and to get in-kind donations from businesses for wishes.

Actually, they do need Wish Granters all over. Since most Wish Granters are based out of the city where the office is, those kids who are further away will wait longer for wishes. I know the office I work out of is trying to recruit Wish Granters from around our territory. I work with the Kansas City office but we cover the entire northern half of the state except for those cities near Illinois. So some kids could easily be 2 or 3 hours away. Our office is going to try to hold trainings in various cities to entice granters from other areas to join. Perhaps your office is doing the same thing?

Here is a link to the Florida page on the Make A Wish National Website. There are 5 offices in Florida so they may be closer than you think!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

I should also add that they have a program called "Kids for Wish Kids." Your daughter should look into it. Maybe her school or another organization that works with kids would like to get involved.

 

[Nie0214]

I put together a team for a 3 Mile Breast Cancer support walk in October. I suppose that's volunteering, we're trying to raise money for a good cause!

 

[LisaR]

I should also add that they have a program called "Kids for Wish Kids." Your daughter should look into it. Maybe her school or another organization that works with kids would like to get involved.

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, their closest office is 1.5 hours away from us. I will definitely look into Kids for Wish Kids. Maybe I can some fundraisers or special events she can help out with. Thanks!

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately, their closest office is 1.5 hours away from us. I will definitely look into Kids for Wish Kids. Maybe I can some fundraisers or special events she can help out with. Thanks!

Like I said, they may have trainings in your area. I know our office is going 2 hours away for a Wish Granter training to try to get people in that part of the state. Just because they are located there does not mean you have to go there. Most chapters really need people in the outlying areas of their region because the kids in those areas end up waiting longer than others to get their wishes granted since many people are unwilling to travel.

When assigning wishes, the geographic location of child and granter is taken into account. I don't know about other chapters, but in my chapter we sign up for the wishes we want, so if you feel one is too far away, you can simply sign up for a closer one.

For those who are interested in some of the different things Make A Wish does, this is a little girl from my home state. We learned about her wish at my training:

Click here for her Wish.

She wanted to be Annie from Broadway and they were able to get an entire cast, a theatre, every thing. They were showing us the pictures and it looked like a professional production. Apparently she was an amazing performer.

 

[Cool-Beans]

OMG, offer one time - ONE TIME - to do something the church has asked if anyone can do. You will never have to worry about finding a way to fill your volunteer desires again.

Seriously. When you see it is the church on the caller ID, you'll be asking yourself, "Do you go to hell for letting the priest go to voice mail?" They'll never leave you alone, which is or depending on how you look at it.

 

[Breezie]

I volunteer in my local hospital's NICU. I spend two hours a week holding babies, folding linen, and cleaning toys. But mostly holding sweet babies.

I would like to find some sort of wildlife sanctuary nearby where I can help out with animals to volunteer with also.

 

[disbridemimi]

I actually found that there is a volunteer minded group for "singles" which I thought was pretty cool if you were single and looking to meet someone nice while doing something worthwhile. That of course, is not for me, but Im telling some of my friends!

I am filling out info requests for Make a Wish, and also the local animal shelter.

 

[gymboqueenkaylee]

I do volunteer once a month a a free clinic in my town. It's a really rewarding experience for me because the people are truly sick and grateful that we are there and that they can get treatment without having to go to the ER and get treated and wait for the giant bill to come in that they can't pay because most traditional PCP's charge too much up front to see them and they don't have that either.

 

[olena]

I am currently a CASA, Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children. I work with kids in the foster care system, supporting them while they are in the system.
www.nationalcasa.org/
I a very involved and spend a great deal of time with all of my CASA kids.
As a CASA you can carry as little as one case..
you can also become a Friend of CASA which is when you do not carry an individual case but you volunteer with fundraising, clerical work etc.

Being a CASA has brought so much into my life. It is good to be needed.. to be honest, these kids have given me so much joy it is unbelievable.

I have also done volunteer work at church, my kid's schools, meals on wheels, several nursing homes and political campaigns. I gotta admit that ''giving''.... gives back to me as it makes me feel good.

One of my friends is a CASA director and you are so right about this charity.

 

[tasha99]

I do hearing screenings for kindergartners and preschoolers w/my school (I'm in school to be a speech pathologist). I also do morning gym supervision once a week at DS's school.

I used to volunteer at a raptor rehab center, and since DD is interested in working with animals, I might do that again with her.

 

[happygirl]

My Church
My kids daycare

 

[LisaNJ25]

yes, I am a girl scout leader and service unit manager for 3 towns. In the fall I will have a second troop.

 

[dolphinrescuegirl]

I volunteer with Mote Aquarium in the dolphin and whale hospital. Occasionally when there is an animal in rehab at the Marine Mammal Conservacy that is in Key Largo, I will drive the 5-6 hours to volunteer there. I also volunteer at the Sarasota Jungle Gardens working with macaws and cockatoos. I will also be a volunteer coordinator in the fall with Big Cat Habitat. I used to volunteer at a show horse barn. In the past I have volunteered at another aquarium, horse places, and Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network. I only volunteer and give money to animal charities as that is where my heart lays. I figure there are enough other people to give to human charities.

 

[Pigeon]

I'm not volunteering at the moment because I have two young kids and zero time. I'll start up again when the kids get older.

But in the past, I've been a Literacy Volunteers of America volunteer, which was an incredible experience. I've worked with Habitat, which was wonderful, and I've delivered food for a local hunger relief organization. The latter wasn't so great. The food delivery part was fine, but the woman who ran the organization was unbalanced. I've also volunteered with several different adoption support organizations.

Good luck and have fun with it.