volunteer regularly

Once I’m done with my master’s I’m hoping to use my spare time (probably weekends because of my unwieldy full-time job) to do some sort of volunteering in my city. This comic illustrates the extent of my skills outside of my profession…and although animal shelters are one place I keep thinking about for volunteering (and yes, I know it’s more work than ‘kitty kissing’), I don’t think I have the heart to be around so many animals that need love and a home. Or maybe that means that my heart is too big to work with these sweet animals!

I’m also looking at my local library for volunteering. Sometimes they have some really cool opportunities. Right now, not so much, but when I am actually free I’ll give them a call to get the low down.

I’ve done a lot of volunteering here and there. I worked at a horse shelter for a while, I volunteered at a clock museum, I helped out with children dealing with death and dying at a recovery house. I’ve done a little bit of everything, but I’d like to choose a project and volunteer at least once a week.

I am a nursing student, so I’m hoping I can use my skills and knowledge after I graduate to volunteer and be of more help to my community.

Went to orientation meeting for New York Cares tonight… one of the largest volunteer organizations in NY. Now will be able to sign up for volunteer projects regularly! Excited to get started!

helped run a public interest auction.

trained to volunteer at a local pet adoption center – now i just have to find the time to actually volunteer for them. hooray for wiggly puppies and soft kitties!

lobbied my state congress to pass a comprehensive sex education bill – particularly cool, i got to meet my rep. and he was such a nice, funny man.

march was good for this goal. feels good to participate in the community.

i went to help out at an after-school cooking club for kids w/learning disabilities. there were more volunteers than students, i felt more in the way than helpful. we made enchiladas, brownies, and lemonade. there was some basketball and arm wrestling in between.

i think i’ll try another couple of projects with New York Cares & if nothing seems to fit, i’ll try a different organization. maybe something more long-term.

meanwhile, lunchbox and his coworkers are talking about setting up an after-school program to teach kids how to program computers! so ambitious! usually i am supportive of whatever he wants to do (learn circuitry? go running in the morning? quit your job & go back to school? yes! go for it! do it!) but with this idea – i really have to try to stifle my skepticism when he talks about it… and am mostly unsuccessful.

i don’t know why it bugs me. i’ve been asking him to volunteer with me for years now. this is great! maybe it’s because i get angry when he starts explaining computer programming stuff to me.

last month i designed invitations to a charity auction.

this month i translated for a free tax clinic.

rad.

spent couple hours at the Disaster Headquarter to organize maps, documenting flood affected areas. this is the largest flood we had in 7 years.

documented the roadways that was flooded or closed due to water, mud or debris. the purpose is to identify areas of need. it would help to identify future shelter for the flood zone. so, affected victims would not have to travel across a flooded zone to get to a shelter.

i was staffed at a red cross shelter for a local flooding for a 12h shift last night.

i finished the required training per red cross quiet sometimes ago. it was either their time of need didn’t work with my work schedule or the red cross found enough volunteers before i could raise my hands. so, after all these times, yesterday night was my first night!

it was tough. nothing fancy or fascinating. red cross borrowed a church and used it to house displaced families in the areas. bare basics were offered ie cot blankets, drinks, simple food, for the most unfortunate / disadvantaged.

i tried to sleep at the shelter and it was impossible. it was a tough night. i suspect they turned out the heat at night. it was cold. the cot was plasticky and noisy, i could feel the cold air going thru under the cot. the blanket was rough and, although i didn’t see, i was certain that it was very dirty. i suspected that the heat was turned off. it was very cold.

i am not sure that my night spent at the cold church helped anybody. the shelter would be open without me anyways, i was not the only staff there. i feel that my suffering was a little unnecessary.

i don’t know if i would do this again. may be for the day shift. yesterday night was very traumatic to me.

Go to the orphan children and play with them. It makes a huge difference to the poor little ones.

another wonderful day in the orchard picking up apples. we picked more than 60 cases of at least 40 lbs each. i delievered 2 cases to the rainbow center, and 1 case to the women shelter/ywca.

surprisingly well organized local charity project. taking excess off farmers and spread to the needies’ tables.