Survivors in recovery find that doing volunteering helps others and themselves.
Giving and receiving kindness nurtures self-worth.
1.
The Humane Society appreciates volunteers.
What might you do? Walk dogs, clean kennels, give a call and find out what the needs are.
2.
Knit or crochet chemo hats for a cancer center.
Children and adults who are receiving cancer treatment appreciate soft hats.
3.
Become involved in a community garden.
Digging in the earth, planting, watering and weeding is healing work and you help the community garden and the people it serves.
4.
The local food bank needs help.
You might become involved in picking up donations or passing out literature or bagging groceries.
5.
Join your neighborhood association.
Neighbors can be involved in making sure the streets are safe for the children by working with the city council on issues.
Other activities might include street fairs.
Neighbors keep track of neighbors.
6.
Have friends, colleagues, or neighbors who are housebound or are on medical leave? What might you do to be to be helpful without being over-involved? You might offer to run an errand while you are doing your own.
Perhaps your friend would appreciate exchanging reading material or DVDs.
7.
Cancer runs and relays welcome runners and volunteers.
If you're not a runner, how about handing out water at the watering stations? 8.
Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society are doing actions to save us from the oil spills and from other threats to life.
Find out what you can do locally.
9.
Join with others in cleaning a stream.
10.
Days for community cleanup provide opportunities to get out there and do something.
11.
Habitat for Humanity welcomes volunteers.
You don't need to be an expert to lend a hand.
12.
Adult literacy programs are always looking for volunteers.
Call and see what their needs are and what training is given to the volunteers.
13.
Become a blood donor.
You can donate your blood as frequently as every 56 days.
14.
Offer a "micro-loan" to entrepreneurs among the extremely poor.
Google Kiva, MicroPlace, OptINnow, The Village Banking Campaign, and the Microcredit Summit Campaign.
15.
Donate toys to needy children through Salvation Army and to homeless shelters.
Do you know that there are children in homeless shelters? 16.
Public schools not only cut back on so-called extracurricular activities such as music and the arts, but also on other subjects such as geography, geology, earth science, and on-and-on.
It is basically reading and math these days in K-8.
Now a new crisis, cutting back the number of teachers and reducing salaries of those who are retained.
How might you share your knowledge and talent? Call the school principal and have a chat.
To work with children or teens, of course, you will go through a background check.
You are worthy of giving and receiving kindness.
Be involved.
Others will thank you and you will thank yourself.