How can I find a volunteer opportunity??

Question

I'm looking for volunteer opportunities in my area. My problem is I don't have a lot of time. What volunteer opportunities are out there for people who are looking to maybe spend a weekend a month (possibly two)?? I live in a suburb of a big city, so there are plenty of places, I'm just not sure where to start. I'd love to work with either animals or kids, but I'd be happy doing anything other than working at a hospital. How can I help out???

Answer 1

You can volunteer by answering questions on Yahoo! Answers. I was like you and wanted to volunteer, so I do this because I can do it whenever I have time for it. If you give good answers that help other people, then you are doing good volunteer work.

Answer 2

You need to make time to volunteer, if you truly want to do it. You need to carve out regular time every day or every week to do it, if you truly want to do it.

See these web sites for volunteering info in your area:

VolunteerMatch, http://www.volunteermatch.org

Idealist, http://www.idealist.org

Change.org, http://www.change.org

CraigsList, http://www.craigslist.com

Network for Good, http://www.networkforgood.org

http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/

ServeNet, http://servenet.org/

Also, contact your local volunteer center; you can find this via the Points of Light Foundation web site,

http://www.pointsoflight.org/centers/

There's also this government sponsored site, http://volunteer.gov/gov/ which provides volunteer positions through USA federal land agencies like Fish & Wildlife, Forest Service, National Parks, etc.

Answer 3

Explore following web sites;

http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/

and

http://www.karmayog.org/

You will get a substantial support as well as projects of your choice.

Good Luck !!

Answer 4

look on craigslist

Answer 5

Contact an animal shelter or the animal control officer in your area. You could go to the main government office for your city and ask people there. I have done both and found opportunities.  One thing that might work well for you based on your time constraints is becoming a hospice volunteer.

Look for a hospice group that could put you in touch with the volunteer coordinator. He or she will assign you to a patient that you can meet with once or twice a month. You can have a verbal or nonverbal patient. You visit them as a friend. It's sad but it's rewarding too.

edit: When I was a hospice volunteer, I met patients either at an assisted living facility or a nursing home.

edit again: Finding something with kids is probably going to be more difficult unless you can do something with an after school program. I know in Boston they do look for tutors on Saturday mornings. Check out CraigsList.

Answer 6

Contact your local Red Cross or Salvation Army.Good luck and you a re a special person to be interested in such.

Answer 7

There is always things to volunteer for. If you would like to work with animals try the ASPCA or pound, for kids, see if there is an event that is coming up that you can help with. You can talk to churches or if you have a Community  Development Corporation in your area start there. That is one of their main objectives to institute programs and events. You can see if you could help out