Volunteering

Nowadays, we hear how volunteering is a dying thing. People are so busy nowadays, that organizations are having trouble finding enough volunteers to keep all their programs going. There was just an article a few months ago in our community newsletter from the local Scouts troop. The author was sharing how the Scout troop almost died a few years ago because they had hardly any volunteers and therefore hardly any kids involved. Now though... it's seen a resurgence... so it makes me wonder, maybe volunteering isn't a dead thing?

Volunteering is really about you giving back to the world... back to the community... back to your environment. Volunteering is one of those altruistic things that makes us feel good... because we do it without any expectation of reward or compensation. We volunteer because we want to give something back, we want to make a difference, we enjoy it... and we want to make the world a better place...

Yes, we are all busy... but busy with what?? When I think of the amount of time I can waste at the computer, just surfing around, reading the news, playing computer games, etc... It's kind of frightening, because that is a real waste of time!!

The question nowadays is... where to volunteer. There are so many organizations out there that are looking for volunteers... how to know which one is the perfect match for us and for our talents... Guess we just have to look and see...

A good place to start is http://www.volunteer.ca/ ... But after that, look around you... Are you involved in Church. Do you have a local community organization? What about your hobbies? Are there hobby groups you could get involved in? What about schools? Teachers love to have various "experts" come in and speak to the children about different topics/careers... What about your career? Take a look and see... odds are you'll find lots of volunteer opportunities around you!!