Volunteering is an excellent way to contribute to our society, acquire new skills and meet like-minded individuals. Still, the biggest obstacle to volunteering is often the lack of time, given the work-family-socialization balance. Luckily, there are a lot of simple measures that one can take in order to start volunteering this year irrespective of available time, capabilities and hobbies. So, find some of the easy examples of actions that will make a difference.
1. Start Small and Local
Local volunteer opportunities are often less time-consuming and entail more flexibility. Reach out to community organizations and individuals, such as local newspapers, public libraries, animal rescue organizations or other charities. Such facilities usually appreciate a hand from those who can work only part time, with such tasks as organizing, assisting in events, or doing some daily work. The beauty of such volunteering is, that even within the limitations of one’s schedule, it is possible to serve in the area that one lives in and even makes a difference in it.
2. Use Your Skills to Make a Difference
In case you possess some expertise, why not give some of it away to suitable organizations. For instance, if you are great with social networking platforms, graphics or writing, lend your talents to help produce articles for or about charities, create their social marketing campaigns etc. This is interesting and helps you improve and present yourself, working on things you believe in.Websites like Catchafire and Taproot Foundation connect skilled volunteers with agencies in need.
3. Virtual Volunteering
For people with busy lifestyles or limited physical activity, volunteering online can turn out to be a revolutionizing step. Almost every organization now has some remote volunteer work available and this includes online tutoring, running social network accounts or helping with fundraising. Websites such as VolunteerMatch and UN Online Volunteering allow you to access a variety of remote opportunities no matter where you are in the world so you can volunteer from the comfort of your couch.
4. Mentor or Tutor
Perhaps one of the best gift you can give is helping other people to build up their skills and that is where most would volunteer. You can help kids with programs such as Big Brothers Big Sisters but you can also help in your local school or library if you are looking for volunteer work in tutoring children having difficulties in class. These two are easily incorporated into a person’s busy schedule since they are offered mostly during weekends or evenings.
5. Join a Clean-Up Day
Such events are organized in many localities for the cleaning of parks, beaches, rivers, or other public spots. Join a clean-up day to help, socialize, and enjoy nature.You can find such events in your area on community billboards or websites, such as Earth Day Network or Clean Up Australia. What’s more, such activities usually do not last for a long period, which means you can engage in these events whenever you have some free time.
6. Donate Your Gently Used Items
If lack of time is a problem, look at the option of giving away some items of clothing, books, or household equipment. That are no longer in use to agencies that make such items available to the people that need them. Donate year-round to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity.This is referred to as giving back, and it is quite simple especially when people can access the needs at an affordable rate, for example, food in stores, clinics, shops, grocery, etc. during hard economic times.
7. Support Food Banks and Shelters
Food banks, soup kitchens, or homeless shelters require more people to help serve food, assist in sorting donations, and pass on items. This kind of volunteering is very useful because it tackles the core problems facing a society. In some instances, just a couple of hours in a month can bring about a huge change, and in most cases, food banks or shelters have short or one-time commitments that are not very time consuming.
8. Engage in Micro-Volunteering
Micro- volunteering implies that one can take part in activities in an intricate degree, normally making use of a phone or computer. Such as signing a petition, assisting organizations in document reconstruction or doing internet surveys for research purposes for non-profits. Facilitating activities of this sort can be found at Help From Home and Zooniverse, among others.
Final Thoughts
Volunteering does not necessarily imply committing too much time. It could be a single hour per week or a day every month; showing up to serve even in such small ways counts. By starting in small ways that fit into your calendar, identity or ways, even your skills or doing nothing in person but using the virtual space to help, it is possible to find ways to help the society and the world in a better way. It is this problem that is, the giving back to the society has been attempted in numerous ways. There is always a reward that comes along with it. So what else do you think you should do? Get the chance to volunteer, encourage yourself, and let this be the year of transformation!
