Tips for Volunteering in Your Community

There are many volunteer opportunities for those willing to roll up their sleeves and help make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Read on for ideas on activities that impact your community — courtesy of The Manners Housing Foundation:

Start at your home

Improving your community starts with your own family and home. Making your house a happy and healthy place for everyone living there ensures you and your family members have the tools needed to make a positive impact in your community. There are several ways to create a welcoming environment from adding plant life to reducing clutter to providing space for solitude and meditation. When you have a peaceful, rejuvenating home, you and your family will have more energy to devote to your community.

Help struggling college students

It may be hard to believe, but many college students live on the edge of poverty, some are even homeless. According to Best Colleges, 3 out of 5 college students endure basic needs security. And with a lack of stable housing, many students are turning to their cars for shelter. Some also miss out on nutritious meals because they can’t afford to feed themselves. To help combat this situation in the Pinellas County area, The Manners Housing Foundation is dedicated to supporting homeless college students, and they are always looking for donations or volunteers.

Tutor children struggling with school

While academics come easy to some, many other children continue to lag behind their classmates. By adulthood, an inability to read or solve basic mathematical problems can lead to long-term un- or underemployment. The Public Broadcasting Service estimates that 36 million Americans can’t read well enough to obtain and hold a living-wage job. You can help lower these grim statistics by offering your time to young children struggling in school. Early intervention is the most effective way to instill a lifelong love of learning and to help ensure the children of your community don’t turn to negative behaviors, such as drugs, alcohol, and gang activity, to compensate for their educational underachievement.

Building homes for needy families

 Programs such as Habitat for Humanity, a national organization that works to provide livable homes for low-income families, are always in need of skilled and unskilled workers to help build and repair residential properties. Most cities have a local Habitat branch that will offer volunteer opportunities throughout the year, but especially in the early spring when the weather begins to warm. In addition to construction help, volunteers can work at their local ReStore, Habitat’s brick-and-mortar retail outlet, by helping to prepare merchandise and assist customers. Numerous committees are also available, as Habitat is a primarily volunteer-based organization.

 Serve holiday dinner to homeless veterans

 The homeless hero epidemic is real and continues to grow throughout the United States; there are over 37,000 homeless veterans at any given time. Many organizations offer assistance to these men and women who, despite their bravery on the battlefield, often wind up broken on the inside with little support. Mental health issues run rampant among military personnel discharged from active duty service, making it difficult to find and keep gainful employment once veterans rejoin civilian life. Check your local VA or VFW to inquire about events this holiday season that cater to our forgotten freedom fighters.

 Help a recovering addict find volunteer opportunities for themselves

Approximately 19 million Americans over the age of 12 are alcohol or drug dependent, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The few that do often recover with the help of volunteers who become mentors, educators, and friends. Take some time to volunteer at a local drug abuse treatment program and get to know the men, women, and children affected by chemical dependency. You will not only make a difference in their lives, but you will also be in a unique position to help identify and define opportunities for themselves to turn their negative life experiences into something positive for others. Volunteerism is one of the best ways an addict can maintain sobriety, especially when helping others remain abstinent themselves.

Start a nonprofit organization

If there’s a cause that’s near and dear to your heart, you can always consider starting a nonprofit in your community to raise funds and awareness. Whether it’s for food insecurity, a ravaging disease like cancer or boosting awareness and resources for those with mental disabilities. While it takes some doing, you can easily establish a nonprofit in your state with a tax-exempt status. Bear in mind, however, that this is not dissimilar to running a business. You’ll need to have a plan, a board of directors, volunteers, donors and funding, and you’ll be required to file an annual report.

Most places gladly accept volunteers for as little as a few hours a month. While this might not seem like a significant contribution, it could change someone else’s life. And, there is no better time than now to resolve to help others.

-swilson