Benefits of Volunteer Work!

Benefits of Volunteering


Gain valuable life experiences and skills -

Whether your child builds houses for the homeless or mails flyers for a local politician, He/she will experience the real world through hands-on work. He/She can use this experience to explore their major or career interests.


Meet interesting people -

Volunteering brings together a variety of people. Both the recipients of your child's volunteer efforts and his co-workers can be rich sources of insight. For example, he may learn about the legal profession from a former lawyer he visits at a convalescent center.

Ask and answer questions -


How much time do I have to commit?

Do I want an ongoing regularly-scheduled assignment, a short-term assignment, or a one-time assignment?

Am I willing to participate in a training course or do I want to start my volunteer work immediately?

What talents or skills do I offer?

What would I most like to learn by volunteering?

What don't I want to do as a volunteer?

Do I want to work alone or with a group?

With what kind of people do I want to work-both in terms of who is receiving my services and who my co-workers might be?


How you get involved -


Look around your community and in the phone book to see which programs are there and need help.

Visit your city or town Web site. It may list volunteer opportunities in your community.
Contact your local United Way, cultural arts association, student organization, or umbrella association that can point you in the right direction.

Ask your library, church or synagogue, and/or community colleges if they sponsor any volunteer groups.

Check out the following websites to learn more about causes and to find volunteer opportunities near you -


SERVEnet

Network for Good

Idealist.org

VolunteerMatch

Do Something


Surf the web for more ideas and don't forget to ask at your work or local schools and even church groups they are alway willing to tell you how or when something is going on right within your our area of town! WHATEVER THE CASE - just get involved - go volunteer!