How/Where do you Volunteer Your Time?

**GOS_Queen** · 01-25-2006, 10:58 AM

Now that I won't be actively recycling glasses for GOS, I am beginning to think about what volunteer opportunities are out there. It has been suggested that I COULD join the Lions, but I am interested in perhaps something a little different for right now.

What agencies/community groups do you all like to volunteer with?

TIA ~

Karen

**ziggy** · 01-25-2006, 02:59 PM

My wife has me "VOLUNTEER" in the kitchen, laundry and bath room. She said this weekend I can "volunteer" with the the toilets!

**Jacqui** · 01-25-2006, 03:28 PM

I'm not only a wonderful optician, I'm also a Registered Nurse and Certified Midwife. I spend my free time volunteering at a free clinic and helping after diasters. Last fall it was doing medical relief after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, this spring I'm scheduled to go to Pakistan to help the earthquake victims.

Do something sensible and join the Lions or help with the Girl Scouts or something else that's normal.

**GOS_Queen** · 01-25-2006, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by Jacqui

I'm not only a wonderful optician, I'm also a Registered Nurse and Certified Midwife. I spend my free time volunteering at a free clinic and helping after diasters. Last fall it was doing medical relief after hurricanes Katrina and Rita, this spring I'm scheduled to go to Pakistan to help the earthquake victims.

Do something sensible and join the Lions or help with the Girl Scouts or something else that's normal.

Jacqui ~

I applaud your efforts ...:cheers: ... I'm looking for a change from the ol' eyeball thing ... :o

**ldyflsh** · 01-25-2006, 07:54 PM

grab a hammer, a paint brush or whatever....Habitat for Humanity can use ALL types of help...no experience required!:idea:

**mlm** · 01-26-2006, 01:55 AM

Karen,

I've volunteered with Remote Area Medical Volunteers (Canada). If you're into adventure, it's a great opportunity to travel. But if you're not into that, I think that RAMV USA has volunteer opportunities within the country.

I've also done volunteer work with UNICEF, mostly storefront or kiosk sales. But they have an educational section, which gives opportunities to do some public speaking.

And I never really thought of this as volunteer work until recently, but I've been a regular blood donor for the past couple of years. (I guess since I'm not really doing anything but lying on a stretcher, it didn't seem like "work" to me.)

Good Luck with your search!

Myra

**rbaker** · 01-26-2006, 02:09 AM

Hospice - It sucks. I hate it. But I have to give back.

**chm2023** · 01-26-2006, 10:37 AM

BVA (Business Volunteers for the Arts) and Friendship Bridge (raise $$ for low interest loans for women in central America to start their own businesses--usually textiles) are two I work with. In the past, CASA, which is court appointed special advocacy--basically oversee the process of children "in the system", making sure everyone is holding up their part of the bargain. Also national, at least in major cities. Also foster parenting is a huge need but a huge commitment.

**EyeManFla** · 01-26-2006, 04:20 PM

When I lived in the D.C. area, I belonged to a number of civic and fraternal organizations.

When I moved here to SW Florida, I became involved in youth sports. I did this mostly because of the extreme lack of healthy choices for kids and teenagers here. Also, there are very few people here under the age of 100 who were able to coach football, basketball and so on!

**Lee Prewitt** · 01-27-2006, 12:17 AM

I volunteer with my City. I serve on our Arts Commission and this year am serving as Chair (second time). My wife is really the civic minded one. She has served on the Library Board and has recently been re-elected to her second term on the City Council. I applaud everyone here who serves in whatever capacity they felt lead to do. We all need to give back to our community in whatever way we can. :cheers:

**Rich R** · 01-27-2006, 12:43 AM

This week is my 35 year old daughter 11 year anniversary of being diagnosed with breast cancer, so our family is involved with Race for the cure to find a cure for this awful disease that is effecting the lives of our families.
My daughter needed a double mastectomy to save her live, at 24 years old she also lost her husband who left her and her house they had just purchased.
The good news... she is now an eleven year survivor with a new husband who adores her and 2 wonderful kids who are my miracle grandkids.
It's a great cause., most major cities have a Race for the cure or Avon breast cancer foundation.
Rich R.

**icyou** · 01-27-2006, 07:40 AM

I faithfully volunteer at the local high school every week. I find it keeps me young to be around the high schoolers. It's fascinating to me to watch them find out who they are and discover where they are going. The trends and "love life" of teenagers are better than the best TV has to offer. And so many of them just need someone to say hi and make sure that they are ok.

**GOS_Queen** · 01-29-2006, 04:46 PM

I am really diggin' all these responses. You are giving me some great ideas. Thanks ~

:cheers:

**OPTIDONN** · 10-21-2006, 08:41 PM

Originally Posted by rbaker

Hospice - It sucks. I hate it. But I have to give back.

WOW! rbaker! I'm impressed, hospice is a very tough thing to do. My hats off to you:cheers:

**HarryChiling** · 10-21-2006, 08:44 PM

Me and my wife help run a site at the Patuxent River Clean up and have been doing so for a couple of years. We basically canoe up and down the river picking up trash and helping to keep the river clean. I also like to donate one large gift for the NCCF National Center for Children and Familys, used to be called the Baptist Home when I lived there. The year the Playstation 2 cam out I got my hands on a lot of 10 and was able to sell them at such a premium due to the short supply that I gave one to them. Turned out that the guys had been asking for their one house gift to be a playstation 2 and no one was able to find one. It really felt great helping them out and the kids were going nuts when they saw it, awesome feeling.

**Jacqui** · 10-21-2006, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by OPTIDONN

WOW! rbaker! I'm impressed, hospice is a very tough thing to do. My hats off to you:cheers:

Hospice is hard for everyone, including the nurses.

**Cindy Hamlin** · 10-23-2006, 08:02 AM

I, too, volunteer with Habitat. It is hard work, but well worth the effort.

Last year, I participated in a Lunch Buddies program at a local elementary school. I would spend a lunch hour every other week with an elementary school child. It was very rewarding and took minimal effort. I also enjoyed the feeling of knowing I was not in school any longer. Man, kids are tough! I got heckled by kindergarteners! One very ascerbc hairy eyeball made it stop quickly, though!

**GOS_Queen** · 10-23-2006, 09:01 AM

Since this thread got bumped back up, I thought I'd let you all know what I have been doing ...

1) the annual spring beach cleanup - what was really kind of strange is that my friend I did this with (she's an optometric tech) found a funny little bottle with Asian writing - since she had several coworkers of various Asian heritage she wrapped it up, took it back with her to the office. Would you believe ... the writing was Japanese - and the product was EYEDROPS! :p (btw - I missed the fall beach cleanup - I was "off" on my dates:shiner: - if you happen to visit the Oregon beaches and see something messy, blame me)

2) I found a group of people who volunteer at the Oregon Food Bank on Tuesday nights. Every couple of weeks, I'll go out and sort thru the food that has been donated. Last time I went, we sorted thru 11,000 pounds of meat from various grocercy stores. Yes, 11,000 pounds. There were 10 of us volunteers. I think I much rather prefer to work with the canned goods.
After playing with all that meat and sorting thru it all (the packages were frozen but all mixed together), I have come up with a new slogan for the Oregon Food Bank: "the Oregon Food Bank ... creating vegetarians one volunteer at a time"... :p Let's just say it was "special" and the faint fragarance of various meats (including organ meats) was, well, "special" ...

3) I spent a day painting a school with the "Portland Cares Day".

**Grubendol** · 10-24-2006, 12:13 PM

Sadly nothing right now, but I was a little brother in Big Brothers/Big Sisters for 10 years, and my Big Bro was the best man in my wedding...I plan on doing that once I get my health straightened fully and consistently.

**Jubilee** · 10-24-2006, 06:36 PM

I volunteer with Prevent Blindness and their support group People of Vision.

I also do many walks and other fundraiser type activities for the Leukemia/Lymphoma society, Make a Wish, St Jude Children's hospitals and our local Riley Children's hospital.

Cassandra

**Dave Nelson** · 10-24-2006, 07:20 PM

Want to have fun, learn new skills, and REALLY help someone in a life or death situation? Volunteer for your local search and rescue squad. I did for 7 years. It really makes a difference. In addition to finding lost hikers, mountain rescue, (where applicable) I participated in body recovery operations, air search and rescue, and even evidence searches at crime scenes. I am a licenced search and rescue manager, so I used to oversee search and rescue operations. Sometimes the tears of gratitude from the family of a rescued hiker in the winter more than make up for the tears when it becomes obvious that the subject of a search and rescue operation has been found dead, or the search has been called off. Search and Rescue can be intense, very rewarding, and I highly reccomend it. Contact your local police department to see about the squad in your area.

**hcjilson** · 10-29-2006, 04:52 PM

Rotary Club projects, Meals on Wheels, and I guess the board of Registration (Its an unpaid job so that should count)

**Reinhardt** · 10-30-2006, 10:26 AM

I’m a Shriner. We run 22 childrens’ hospitals in North America where no one is charged for treatment. Services are for burns and orthopedic. Miracles are truly seen every day.

Each of us performs some kind of volunteer service to promote our cause. I’m a happy clown who visits kids in hospitals to cheer up their day. You can’t put a value on the personal reward.

**Dave Nelson** · 10-30-2006, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by GOS_Queen

Since this thread got bumped back up, I thought I'd let you all know what I have been doing ...

1) the annual spring beach cleanup - what was really kind of strange is that my friend I did this with (she's an optometric tech) found a funny little bottle with Asian writing - since she had several coworkers of various Asian heritage she wrapped it up, took it back with her to the office. Would you believe ... the writing was Japanese - and the product was EYEDROPS! :p (btw - I missed the fall beach cleanup - I was "off" on my dates:shiner: - if you happen to visit the Oregon beaches and see something messy, blame me)

2) I found a group of people who volunteer at the Oregon Food Bank on Tuesday nights. Every couple of weeks, I'll go out and sort thru the food that has been donated. Last time I went, we sorted thru 11,000 pounds of meat from various grocercy stores. Yes, 11,000 pounds. There were 10 of us volunteers. I think I much rather prefer to work with the canned goods.
After playing with all that meat and sorting thru it all (the packages were frozen but all mixed together), I have come up with a new slogan for the Oregon Food Bank: "the Oregon Food Bank ... creating vegetarians one volunteer at a time"... :p Let's just say it was "special" and the faint fragarance of various meats (including organ meats) was, well, "special" ...

3) I spent a day painting a school with the "Portland Cares Day".

I would'n have the HEART to do that kind of work... you know it takes GUTS. Thanks for letting me vent my SPLEEN.;)