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People look to the field of volunteering for a variety of reasons. Some people are entering the work force for the first time. Perhaps a parent is left to face the empty nest syndrome, and feels that he/she now has the time to contribute skills to the community. Sometimes, a person may be re-entering the job market after a long hiatus: caring for a family, or caring for a sick family member. Often, people are interested in making a career change, but are not ready to resign their current position. Or, a person may be a recent graduate without job experience. Or perhaps, you simply have a skill that you would like to teach, or empathy for a certain group of people, such as teenage parents, or people with mental illness. All of these are common situations that a volunteer job could help a person to gain experience, while at the same time, and contribute to the community. Let's look at several types of volunteer opportunities.
Many volunteer opportunities are for people with college degrees or specific skills such as: teaching, carpentry, counseling, management, and so forth. Other opportunities do not require a college degree, and training is provided. Examples of the latter might be CPR, homework assistance, clerical, among many. In any case, there are thousands of programs to choose from. Some are state, city or federally sponsored, and local civic groups support some. Think about which group you represent, and the sorts of things that you are able to contribute, as well as what sorts of contributions you would enjoy teaching and sharing with other people.
One of the largest volunteer organizations is The United Way. They can be found internationally in just about any city or town. The United Way serves many populations, and provides many services to the community. Examples are: tutoring and assisting in various after school programs, companions for the elderly and the mentally ill, mentor programs for pregnant teens and their families, and programs that work with low-income people and families to assist them in nutritional counseling, securing child-care, career development, and many, many other avenues. You can connect to their web site at: www.UnitedWay.org and you can browse the various opportunities that are available, as well as apply-on-line. The experience can help you to gain skills that are part of today's job market, as well as giving you an opportunity to help others in their time of need.
If you are a college graduate who is overwhelmed by debt from student loans, Americorps offers several volunteer programs that will assist you with either paying back your student loans, and/or providing you with an educational grant to pursue graduate studies. All of the positions require you to work in a low income community to develop and teach programs that help young people and their families to secure education, housing and medical assistance. In exchange for 40 hours of weekly volunteering, you receive a small stipend for your living expenses, and $4,725.00 to help pay off old student loans or to pursue a certificate, Master's or Doctoral degree. The experience is great for your resume!
Habitat for Humanity is a great volunteer organization for people who have skills in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, construction and decorating. Habitat for Humanity takes old homes and refurbishes them for low-income families. The group also assists the families with securing specially funded low-interest, affordable government loans. Sometimes, they even build homes from scratch on vacant lots. It's a great example of an entire community coming together to give a home to a family who, without the aid of Habitat for Humanity, would never be able to afford a home. You can contact Habitat for Humanity at: www.Habitat.org
There are also special opportunities available through the Parks Service. If you have ever wondered what is like to be a park ranger, a botanist, or a tour guide, the Parks service is a great place to start. Training is provided, and you can choose from a list of openings that includes parks all over the United States. If you love the outdoors and are considering a career that involves being around nature and helping to educate people about the nation's need for conservation, wildlife and park history, you may well have found your calling! You can reach the Parks Service at: www.nps.gov/volunteers/opportunity.htm
If you are history or science buff who has never been able to find a forum in which to educate the public in matters such as archeology, archeological digs, museum tours, and even an opportunity for museum management, check out www.Escapeartist.com. This site lists dozens of national and international opportunities that give you a chance to assist on archeological digs in the South Pole, Russian and Turkey, and among many other locations. You can even assist with renovating a civil war cemetery. There are many volunteer jobs located overseas. One of these is called Relief. You can volunteer to work in refugee camps, and to provide educational training to oppressed communities in all international countries. View their informative web site at: www.Reliefweb.int .
The Peace Corp is the most famous overseas volunteer organization in the world. The Peace Corp recruits anyone with a college degree in any field, to go to foreign depressed nations and their communities within to teach your skills and share your knowledge. If you have a degree in English, you could elect to go to Russia and teach English to Russian school children, or if you have a medical background, you could go to Macedonia and provide health education. The Peace Corp is in virtually every country, serving a variety of needs. There is a 3-month training program for volunteers, and volunteers must commit to staying and working for 2 years in any given country. The Peace Corp is a wonderful way to see the world, while at the same time, contributing to cultures.
If you are looking for opportunities closer to home, there are many in your neighborhood. The Red Cross is a fine organization that recruits volunteers to help in times of natural disasters. Volunteers help to relocate homeless families as well as to provide counseling to people and families who have lost everything due to floods, hurricanes, and drought. Look in your phone back for the nearest Red Cross Chapter. Also, you can telephone libraries, schools, animal shelters, homeless shelters, nursing homes, battered women's shelters, hospitals, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America for mentoring, companionship, clerical and customer service volunteer opportunities. Once you decide on which area you would like to offer your skills, or learn a new skill, the sky is the limit. Make the call today!
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