Its Time We Started Volunteering...

[MetaKittie]

So what have you ww.com members done in the way of volunteering?
Of you haven't, then what would you do?

Seeing as I've got a whole summer to do nothing, I'm volunteering at an animal shelter dedicated to guinea pigs (my favorite animals, they make great pets), Cavy Care Inc. I may even be fostering some pigs!

So how about it, ww.com?
What are you doing this summer to help the community?
Previous experience volunteering, anyone?

[BlackRosePhantom]

I'm a "volunteer" in this group called Dreams of Hope. We're young queer (and allied) performers that go around educating people about LGBT issues. And we just happened to get an cash incentive for each performance. More info at www.dreamsofhope.org (http://www.dreamsofhope.org/).

[UNODRAGONE]

I volunteer at my cities animal shelter as well as the veterinarians office I use to intern with during the week and on weekends. I also volunteer for the United Way and Red Cross of America, as well as the VA office, Bridgeport Beautiful were we go around painting over graffiti, pick up trash and all that in my city and last but not least I volunteer in my community watch program and my local GSA (gay straight alliance) chapter. I applaud anyone who takes their time and spends it helping others.

[MorganaFang]

I am and have been a mentor (here comes the shocker) to teenagers and preteens from inner city school districts. Basically we work with kids who have had to "grown up too fast" and give them a chance to have some fun, develop passion in future career fields, work on scholarships for them and help get them trained to do things in the community as well.

Also I have worked with TA'ing art classes in various community/school programs for bringing back arts to the schools here in MN.

Before getting involved with kids though I grew up doing environmental volunteering, planting trees, gardens, cleaning shit up and also volunteering with the elderly (basically an adopt a grandparent kind of deal). A long while ago I had done habitat for human and greatly enjoyed that experience. Though I don't think I'll be doing it through church organization like before.

Right now because of the sparsity of jobs and hiring freezes, I'm signing up to join with Americorp and continue doing more mentor programs however this time get a little help with my own financial instability.

[Chriz]

Many moons ago I taught an art class to teenagers. Technically, it was a job, but I was never paid.

Nowadays, work consumes too much time for that kind of thing.

[GhostBat]

About once a year I donate all the clothes I haven't worn in a while to the donation center closest to where I live. The dorms on my campus are great, because they set up centers to donate clothes, books, electronics, and food at the end of the year while people are packing to move out. It gives the students an opportunity to give away things they don't want to pack, and provides the needy in the area with anything they could ever need.

One of my favorite volunteer experiences was with the Angel Tree by the Salvation Army. They would set up Christmas trees in malls, with ornaments representing homeless children in their shelters, with a list of what they wanted for Christmas. Shoppers would have the opportunity to pick an ornament, and go around the mall and buy what they could off the list. They would bring the items back to us, and we'd pack up the items to send to the shelters. It was an amazing experience, because a lot of the kids would just ask for things like socks or underwear, and people would bring back bikes and other big ticket toys on top of what was on the list.

On occasion I would do random volunteer work like make miniature easter egg baskets for an old folks' home.

Nowadays, I'm really too busy to volunteer much of my time, but I'm in the habit of clicking the button on each of the sites here (http://www.thehungersite.com), just to give something.

[BlasphemousHeart]

I used to act as a buddy for a local "challanged" sports program, and my CAP squad used to do all sorts of securtity based volenteering in our sector.

[MorganaFang]

Nowadays, I'm really too busy to volunteer much of my time, but I'm in the habit of clicking the button on each of the sites here (http://www.thehungersite.com), just to give something.

That is something cool about the internet is there all these places now where it doesn't really take donating your own money. Maybe a little time but not a whole lot.

Along with the hungersite there is also apps on facebook and myspace that if you invite a certain amount of members or send a certain amount of trinkets for a portion of funds and whatever else to be given to charity. Granted some of these things are not only annoying but should be questioned if they are actually doing anything at all.

However, I think it's pretty cool concept. I'd like to be able to develop similar projects or even move on eventually in my career to designing for charity organizations.

I already am constantly working on projects for cancer organizations since it's something that is pretty prevalent in my life.

[NeonLightChild]

Back when I was only taking one class and working 5 days a week, I had an entire day to volunteer at the county dog pound. I LOVED it, moreso for the fact that the wardens knew me and trusted that I knew dogs, so they didn't insult my intelligence by making me go through any training. Down here in the big city, I don't know if I would volunteer again, just because it's so restricting and insulting almost...they assume that no one knows anything about the animals, so everyone has to go through the same classes and whatnot. Which is good, I can see WHY they do it, especially with the volume of volunteers they get as opposed to me being the only 'volunteer' (everyone else was working off probation or welfare)...but if I can't do what I feel is the best for these dogs, I am not someone to allow another person over me to tell me I am wrong, unless I KNOW they know more than I do. (Which, when referring to the local shelter 'trainers' who do nothing but shove treats at the dogs for one reason or another, is usually not the case.)

Whoooooops, NLC just slipped off her soapbox and landed on her ass...

Anyway, I'll be working and eventually going back to school fulltime. I'm sure I'll sign up for something somewhere on some kind of regular basis, but no concrete plans yet.

EDIT: Does it count if I'm donating my luverly long hair to the Children With Hairloss organization? Methinks no, but some kid'll enjoy it anyway.

[LV426]

I do reptile rescue and serve as a halfway house for wayward animals in seek of new homes.

[Tempest]

I'm a member of my library's friends. When people give donations to the library, I (along with a few other volunteers) price them and sell them. All the money goes to library programming. I also have started making trips to southern West Virginia, where my mom grew up. The library there is incredibly poor compared to mine. So I pack as many book donations as I can fit in my car and drive down there and give them to that library. I figure, why not? My library gets too many donations for us to sell quickly enough.

I'm also trying to volunteer at a hospital, which has turned out to be a pain in the ass process because of all the liability issues. But I'm required by my college to do 40 hours of volunteer work under a physical therapist for my major. I'm planning on making it a long-term thing though, at least until I graduate. Work experience and all that.

[Klark]

I'm currently the President of the Sidney Junior Chamber of Commerce, otherwise known as the Jaycees. We do all kinds of programs from teaching members and community members CPR for $5 to hosting Toys for Tots on Christmas and Winterfest where families can get Santa Pictures for free.

We also raise money for scholarship programs for the local college. Our activities are great in number, so if I can, the link to our page is here. (http://www.sidneyjaycees.com)

This is not just a local thing. We are a local chapter of a state organization which is part of a national organization which is part of an international organization.

There are age restrictions for some chapters, but all the money we raise we turn around and spend in the community.

[Wolf-Bone]

Volunteering as a kid turned into unpaid labor as a teenager and young adult turned into having my generosity abused to the point where I was hemorrhaging money thanks to "friends" and even family knowing a sucker when they saw one. Right now my attitude is, if you can't pay me in dollars, fine. But it's just common sense that if I do something for someone else, it should result in something that benefits me in some way.

I've been compared to Jesus a lot in the past, because of the long hair, the way I'll stand up to anyone no matter how powerful they are if they're harming or deceiving people. And of course, the generosity and continually forgiving people who repeatedly fuck me over. That's gone. But I had to damn near hit rock bottom to see why I needed to start looking out for number one.

I ain't much good to anybody if I'm dead, or addicted to rock.

[west]

I volunteer at homeless shelters from time to time, and donate several times a year to the Lupus Foundation of America.
http://www.lupus.org

[Chiron Jackal]

For the past two days I've assisted, free of pay, in a special education classroom. What an experience that was...

[MorganaFang]

And just like Kat's link for food, I was just sent another free donation link from my family for animal shelters.

Clickity (http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3)

Snopes (http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/charity/animalrescue.asp) even investigated this one, for those who are curious.

Directory for more. (http://www.oneclickatatime.org/)

[Jaradyne]

Volunteering as a kid turned into unpaid labor as a teenager and young adult turned into having my generosity abused to the point where I was hemorrhaging money thanks to "friends" and even family knowing a sucker when they saw one. Right now my attitude is, if you can't pay me in dollars, fine. But it's just common sense that if I do something for someone else, it should result in something that benefits me in some way....

I ain't much good to anybody if I'm dead, or addicted to rock.

I was a sucker on a much smaller scale until I found out my mom was just taking money from me without me even knowing. :banghead:

I am looking to volunteer somewhere in August. The rest of the time I'm busy with school and working as a special education assistant (I always gravitate towards 'good' jobs if that counts) where TC was working with us for a while :beerchug:

[DarkWolf]

I do not have the time to volunteer. I barely have time to look after myself.

I do donate a small amount to the RSPCA (Animal protection thing) right out of my wages every month, though.

[Chiron Jackal]

I do not have the time to volunteer. I barely have time to look after myself.

I do donate a small amount to the RSPCA (Animal protection thing) right out of my wages every month, though.

Which is good of you and close enough since you don't have the time.

And it makes me love you a little more.

[HappyWolf]

I know no one has posted in this thread in a while, but I just thought I'd bring back the thread because volunteering is so important.

I am a volunteer at my local animal shelter for 4 hours once a week, which I do when I'm not going to school. It's sometimes heartbreaking being there, and I just want to take all the animals home and spoil them rotten, but that's not the ultimate answer to animal abuse and neglect.

Spay and neuter your animals, people!

[MorganaFang]

I know no one has posted in this thread in a while, but I just thought I'd bring back the thread because volunteering is so important.

I am a volunteer at my local animal shelter for 4 hours once a week, which I do when I'm not going to school. It's sometimes heartbreaking being there, and I just want to take all the animals home and spoil them rotten, but that's not the ultimate answer to animal abuse and neglect.

Spay and neuter your animals, people!

Hey it's ok. There's actually no way to be making zombie threads at this point since none of the posts are years old. :p

Also talking volunteer or opportunities for fund-raising is a great thing to keep this site actively doing.

So seriously, kudos.

[Shining Wolf]

I spent my precious summer vacation volunteering at Sierra Wildlife Animal Rescue, feeding and caring for baby and injoured birds. It was pretty much this the entire time.

http://helenkosings.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/babybirdsscreaming1.jpg

Only you exchange the straw nests for laundry baskets, are in a small building for four hour shifts, and have to bend over about every five minutes to feed "baby formula" (which I might add looked like diarrhea) to the little bastards.

There, now I’m done bitching. =D

[MetaKittie]

Adorable yet really ugly birdies...
I always wanted to volunteer somewhere with wild animals (like tigers, rawwr) but I don't want to end up lunch.

I'm still working on my FREE spay and neuter fund. Yeah, its a low cost spay and neuter program (We cover the $50 cost), but better than nothing. Its a lot better than the $300+ at the vet we live by.
Also I'm be doing the same things. I gotta get this thing off the ground soon.

[Vendetta]

It's not something you actively have to do continuously, but I'd recommend singing up with the local National Bone Marrow Registry (http://www.marrow.org/) (there are also European and international options.) It doesn't really take much other than volunteering to come in if you are matched with a recipient, and in most cases it's just like giving blood. And you may save or extend someone's life.

[MetaKittie]

My brother donated bone marrow when I was baby (had cancer). It saved my life. I think I'll sign up for that. Give the gift of life. Not sure anyone would want my bone marrow though. O.o

[Raid]

I volunteer as a "lunch person" 3 days a week in a local daycare centre for physically and mentally disabled adults.
I started because one of my uncles on my father's side is physically handicapped, and mental disorders/abnormalities aren't uncommon on that side of my family.
Secretly it's mostly because I'm currently between jobs and had to find something to keep busy in order to receive unemployment, uhm, money, while I'm waiting to begin a specialised training course for people with my "issues".