Do you volunteer?

[Theunicornhunter 2]

A couple of months ago I decided it was time to contribute to life and signed up to be a literacy volunteer. So far it has been an interesting experience. It takes time and I get tired sometimes from going out two nights a week but it is probably one of the most meaningful things I've ever done. More than 20% of the adult population in my county are functionally illiterate - how sad that is.

 

I was talking to my mom about this - if every able bodied person volunteered two hours a week to some cause - think of all the problems that could be solved. Not everyone has the same talent - I can't build things for habitat or I don't think I'd be good at some other volunteer programs but I did find something I could do.

 

I have a relative who is a volunteer coach for the county (soccer and softball) she coaches her daughter's team. I went to a game the other night and observed all of the people that were there as volunteers to help these little kids play softball. The coach from the other team kept yelling out things like "way to hit" etc to these poor little kids that didn't even come close to the ball - I've seen some pretty temperamental coaches but apparently they get the nice ones for the little kids. I love going to the games - its exciting to see their skills improve - still there is a lot of volunteer work that keeps the program going.

 

Last year a lot of Floridians became acquainted with Red Cross volunteers - I would love to be able to do something like that someday.

[ARMS 0]

If everything in life were free, then i'd volunteer...

[Angela 1]

I am a carer, I guess that is volunteering. I spend most of my day everyday looking after my father. I am not obligated to do so. I just do. When in haigh school I would volunteer my time to teaching other children to read and dispensed with the normal thinking of teaching children words using leters but rather the phonetic sound. I had very good results with this. Now the British government is teaching children to do so. I was simply teaching as I had been taught.

 

I agree volunteering is a very rewarding thing to participate in, thoughin my situation, it can be very exhausting, not just physically, but mentally also.

[LordOfTheBorg 1]

I volunteer with my youth group. We do car washes, and stuff like that (sometimes, when we're fundraising). Other then that, i don't really volunteer a whole lot.

[Bethlehem 7]

at my church and some with the a local child abuse organization

[ussacclaim 0]

I volunteer on a pretty consistant basis. I'm a Jehovah's Witness (I think most of you know that since it has come up in a few other threads if I recall correctly) so I go out door-to-door and talk to people about the Bible. Most of you I'm sure already know that about the Witnesses since it seems to be a stereotype we have and what we are known for most, heck it was even mentioned on the Simpsons once, but hey, it's the truth. So, I try to comitt about ten hours per month to this activity, though I'm hpoing to increase that to 20 in the near future.

 

Additionially, when we have large gathering for instruction, like assemblies or conventions, I usually volunteer there too, usually helping to clean the meeting place after the sessions and helping out with the parking, though this summer I volunteered to be an attendant which involves a lot but I'm looking forward to it.

[Madame Butterfly 0]

I've always volunteered.

 

Organizing programs for children at homeless shelters, local carnivals, at the local elementary school, at the library, scouting programs.

[Matt 0]

I volunteer a lot, I used to be heavily involved in human rights but I spend most of my time now working in animal rights.

[Ace 0]

I have volunteered many different ways in the past, but it's not something I do regularly. One thing I did enjoy was "RepairAffair", I think. A ton of volunteers spruced up the yards/houses of people who were unable to do it themselves for monetary or physical reasons.