Volunteering is a Gift of Yourself

publication date: Dec 17, 2007

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author/source: Roswell Beacon

Many people decide to increase their involvement with charities during the holiday season, usually by donating money. Another significant way to help is to donate time as well.

With a huge number of deserving charities in existence, picking the right one for you can be difficult. One place to look for help is the easy-to-use Points of Light Foundation web site at www.pointsoflight.org. Just type in your zip code and, within seconds, contact information for their nearest volunteer center will appear.

For those looking to instill the value of volunteering in their children, the Points of Light Foundation also offers a program for elementary- and middle-school-aged kids. Called the Kids Care Clubs, they typically adopt special projects where kids can focus on helping a specific group of disadvantaged people, such as the homeless, the disabled or the elderly. Loosely formed in 1990, Kids Care Clubs now number more than 1,000 worldwide. To learn more about how you can find a Kids Care Club for your children, visit the web site at www.kidscare.org.

One of the most recognizable images of the holiday season is the red kettle of the Salvation Army (SA). Whether on a city street corner or throughout the malls of suburbia, nearly every American comes into contact with the kettle at one point or another once the holidays arrive. But if you're looking to do more to support the Salvation Army, numerous opportunities exist.

While the kettles collected over $100 million last year alone, SA also needs volunteers to deliver meals and gifts to the sick or needy or to help out at a local shelter. Playing a more active role with SA this holiday season is especially important since the organization has had to designate so many resources to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. To learn more about the Salvation Army and what you can do to help, visit their U.S. web site at www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Another great place to seek out volunteer opportunities is at Idealist.org. This web site is one of the most extensive Internet resources for those who want to volunteer but might not know where to begin. Connected to over 48,000 nonprofit organizations in 65 countries, Idealist.org allows users input their home city, the area of volunteering they wish to focus on, and any other information they care to offer. Within seconds, a list of local volunteer opportunities is provided.

A similar search engine is provided for those who might be looking to turn their desire to volunteer into a career change. Through the "Jobs" link on the site's main page, Idealist.org provides a daily, updated list of several thousand job postings at nonprofit organizations throughout the world.

All of the web sites mentioned above are free of charge.