Summer’s here, and after taking some time to get over test anxiety and late night cram sessions, take shift in thinking and look for some ways to get involved in servitude. You’ll find there are tons of things you can do to help out people, places and spaces in your community. Volunteering is all about donating time and effort for a cause you personally believe in, and through this process, changing the lives of those around you. Deeds are not measured in size, but rather the impact you make on your community, and in the time in takes to watch a movie, you can significantly make a difference.
Fun Ways to Get Involved
A fun way to get involved is to call up your local YMCA or rec center and find out if they need volunteer coaches: basketball, soccer, t-ball, swimming, etc. You and your best gal pal can spend Saturday afternoons teaching kids how to shoot a jump shot. You’ll be a hero, not just to your team members, but also to the proud parents who see you making a difference in the lives of their children. Kids admire you, and you can inspire them in ways you would never imagine just by being there.
If you’re a pet lover, contact the local pet shelter. Offer to walk the dogs every Monday morning. Get a great workout while serving a heartfelt purpose! If you’re really adventurous, gather your friends and help clean out the shelter kennels or wash homeless dogs under the supervision of a trained professional.
Another incredible way to get involved with friends is by finding your local soup kitchen or food pantry and offering to help cook and/or dish out a meal once a week. Not only will you have tons of fun slicing tomatoes, but when men and women who suffer from hard times come in to receive a home-cooked meal and their smiles are so full of thanks, you’ll find your reward is more priceless than any monetary payback.
In the end, it’s all about giving back and being part of something selfless. An anonymous writer once wrote, “Some people come into our lives and quickly go, while others leave footprints on our heart and we are never, ever the same.” Volunteering changes lives, and as a result leaves an entire set of footprints on affected hearts that won’t be soon forgotten.
Depending on your community, there are tons of organizations always looking for volunteers: elderly homes, churches or non-profit groups like Habitat for Humanity, who builds homes for those in need. To find your perfect fit log onto www.volunteermatch.org, enter your zip code, the distance you’d be willing to travel and your area of interest – you’ll be surprised by all the places within your city that are just waiting for your help.
