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View Full Version : We VOLUNTEER our Time! Congratulate Yourself & Post Ideas!


AtLast
03-25-2010, 04:29 PM
Give yourself some recognition as a volunteer! Post about what kinds of things you volunteer time for. Hoping this thread gives others ideas about what might be something they can give time to and get on out there!

I volunteer a lot of time to political action during election years, but also time at public libraries to help adults to read. I want to start a small cooking class for diabetic teens in my home to teach more healthy cooking techniques (and food choices, how to shop, etc.) and help promote healthy weight loss. I am just going to do this free-lance, not connect it with an organization at this time. Maybe a monthly meeting right now and 3 kids, as I will have to foot the grocery bill. Want to see if this will work.

VOLUNTEER TO YOUR COMMUNITY and make a difference! Besides, its fun!

:ymca:

Andrew, Jr.
03-26-2010, 09:29 AM
I participate in a lot of volunteer work. I do everything when I can due to my health. It ranges from making sandwiches for the homeless & poor, to feeding them during holidays, to handing out bags of groceries. It gives me joy to do this. I expect nothing in return.

I also pray for those who are sick, poor, and needy. Some online, and some who come to me in real time. I am not sure of why, but people seek me out. I go to St. Jude's Shrine to pray. Sometimes for hours at a time or for a few minutes. I remember when TJ's parents wrote me about their daughter's battle with cancer. The agony in their voices could just reach out and touch you. I sent them a prayer card, and the rosaries from St. Jude's that I used when my sister, JoAnn, was dying of skin cancer. The gift of prayer is very powerful and wonderful. It isn't something that you just give away. It is something that shows love and dedication to one's beliefs and giving hope for the future. It may not be what we want. It is in God's hands.

Good thread. I look forward to see what others do.

Namaste,
Andrew

AtLast
03-26-2010, 01:26 PM
My hope is that a lot of us do step out of just volunteering within our queer community so that we touch others and maybe build some communication and help stop hate.

Soft*Silver
03-26-2010, 01:42 PM
one of the exciting things that will happen once I move to Rose Cottage, is my ability to foster dogs. We have a local pound that is a kill pound. Every Friday. I am going to work with a local charity that pulls these dogs on Thursdays. They need foster homes. I wil specialize in the big breed of dogs. I have a newf now and I'm getting newf 2 after I move.) I am fencing the back yard and will be putting up a kennel to isolate them from my personal pets until we get a health clearance..then they can come into the house...

I am a Master Gardener too and for my community service I will be setting up some kind of horticulture therapy activity. One year I put in a children's garden for an inner city program that worked with kids who were infected or affected by HIV. This years activity will be smaller..I have alot on my plate right now but I will think of something.

MissGentleman
04-30-2010, 03:07 PM
Is necroposting allowed, cos I'm thinking of getting a couple of volunteer jobs this summer.

My mum, albeit indirectly, has given me permission to volunteer for my city's pride festival! :D Which is surprising as she believes I'm 100 per cent heterosexual cos I happen to like guys as well as girls *facepalm*

The other volunteer thing will probably be another community project.

Wish me luck! :)

Passionaria
06-14-2010, 09:29 AM
Right now I am on the board of our local Community Radio Station doing outreach to local non-profits that are undeserved by the media. I also train people in radio skills. Allgo, here in Texas is one of my favorite organizations. I would love to see them get more press. But after some of the hateful stuff I have seen happening here in the South, it makes me worried for their safety as well. Double edged sword, safer when quiet? I don't think so. The media / Hollywood has kept John Trudell alive. IMHO

:rose: Pashi

cuddlyfemme
06-14-2010, 11:50 AM
I volunteer at Project Pet...a no kill shelter for dogs and cats. I mainly work with socializing the kitties who have been abused and are scared of people. Soon, I'll be working on the adoption screening process

Lady_Wu
06-21-2010, 12:05 PM
I can't drive, so must depend on the kindness of friends to go anywhere non-medical. I am used to doing volunteer work, however, so found a few ways to volunteer online. I click each day for the Literacy, the Hunger, and the Rainforest Projects. Just for doing this, sponsors provide books for children. x-amounts of food for the hungry, and save/reclaim x-amounts of Rainforest land. Takes so little time, yet does so much! If one buys from the various stores associated with each site, them more gets donated. I also sign petitions, write letters, and do whatever else I can for causes for which I fight. Also, on the non-online side, I go through my closet once per year and give many clothes to the local shelter. This year I am considering offering-for FREE-some very nice clothes on Queerbay to anyone who would like them. Well, not quite free, since I am extremely poor, the recipient would have to pay postage. I have some very stylish coats, barely worn, and some Winter Sun skirt/shirt combinations which I cannot wear anymore due to extreme weight loss. Unfortunately, I am continuing to lose weight, so I doubt that I'll be wearing the Winter Sun clothes anymore.:bigcry: They are gently worn-no holes, tears, fading, rips, etc. I take very good care of my clothes! Anyone interested just from reading this post, PM me. They are medium but Winter Sun runs big and the skirt waists generally have elastic.
Namaste,
Lady_Wu

cuddlyfemme
06-22-2010, 06:16 AM
My newest volunteer job is fostering kitties. I had no plans on doing this because of the emotions involved but a 2 year old orange tabby really needed a foster home. So, along with my 3 cats, I have Goldie the Cat now at my house

Mrs. Strutt
06-22-2010, 07:10 AM
I support two organizations: Cut It Out - Salons Against Domestic Abuse, and Look Good...Feel Better, which is a free public service program to help women cope with their appearance and improve their self-esteem during cancer treatment.

storyofmylife
10-27-2010, 05:32 AM
Awesome thread!
It is so wonderful to see volunteering from the Heart!
I love to volunteer ...... it makes my life complete.
During the Holidays through out the year, my bestfriend and
I would make and donate gift baskets for the children in the
homeless shelter. Helping out in our local soup kitchen.
Also helping local disable elderly with their daily needs such as
going to grocery store for them , doing laundry , help clean their
home or drive them to the doctor s office. And some fun stuff like
painting their nails, playing board games or just sit and listen to
them tell their childhood life stories.
I also have been fostering animals since I was a kid.
Every year my flower/ veggie garden gets bigger because I like to
give them away. :)

LipstickLola
10-27-2010, 12:02 PM
People first, then animals, mostly horses.

During this season, I will use my Facebook page to bring awareness to a local charitable organization that raises money for food supplies, then on two upcoming Saturdays, we actually distribute the baskets to needy families. In my region, the need is great as unemployment, foreclosure, and the economy in general put so many families at a disadvantage.
www.wefeedpeople.com

A second cause where I am a regional volunteer, is the rescue of horses. I not only donate my resources, ie time, money, but organize fund raising venues as well as education to other equine enthusiasts in this area.

I also sit on the board of directors of an after-school program for at-risk children.

To whom much is given, much is expected :)

Legendryder
10-27-2010, 12:06 PM
I volunteer two days a week at a soup kitchen here in Ellijay. We feed about 80 people a day. 10 hours of my time per week is well spent.

SmoothButch
02-22-2011, 11:19 AM
I am a volunteer Fire & Rescue member.

SelfMadeMan
02-23-2011, 05:42 PM
I volunteer for the MN Patriot Guard, for those of you who aren't familiar with the group, it's a group of motorcycle riders who escort and hold flag lines to honor fallen soldiers, as well as doing welcome homes and send-offs.

I also do as many charity motorcycle runs as I can fit in during the spring & summer, my favorite being the Cruise for Kids run for the Rochester, MN Ronald McDonald House. Last year we raised over $124,000 in ONE DAY for the kids!

And in the next month or so, I plan to volunteer for Meals on Wheels to help feed the elderly/disabled

justkim
02-23-2011, 05:47 PM
I do this also with my parents. I can honestly say that our Veteran's are some of the most amazing people. They would give the shirt off of their backs to help anyone. I was volunteering at the YMCA while I lived in Oregon, I got a free membership for giving three hours of my week to them. I met some of the cutest people while sitting at the front desk and answering questions.


I volunteer for the MN Patriot Guard, for those of you who aren't familiar with the group, it's a group of motorcycle riders who escort and hold flag lines to honor fallen soldiers, as well as doing welcome homes and send-offs.

I also do as many charity motorcycle runs as I can fit in during the spring & summer, my favorite being the Cruise for Kids run for the Rochester, MN Ronald McDonald House. Last year we raised over $124,000 in ONE DAY for the kids!

And in the next month or so, I plan to volunteer for Meals on Wheels to help feed the elderly/disabled

LaneyDoll
07-22-2011, 09:42 AM
This is a great thread and I am hoping it gets going again.

I have always done volunteer work.

From age 13 to 17, I visited/volunteered in the nursing home my mom worked for. My sister and I would feed residents, read to them, visit to them and take them for walks/rides in the facility.

From 18 to 19, I did behind the scenes work for Camp Smile A Mile. Nothing fabulous, mostly stuffing envelopes, filling raffle boxes etc.

From 19 to 27, I was one of five core members of the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Alabama. When we merged with the Atlanta chapter, the new group was so big that I no longer felt like I was needed and I moved on to a smaller group closer to home. The fact that I was also a new mom made it harder and harder to interact with the kids-my heart weighed too heavy and burnout set in fast.

So, at 28, I moved on to the Pride group in my hometown. Not what you think, for them, "Pride" meant pride in the town/community. We raised money for schools and community groups like the Boy Scouts. But I left there after a fiasco involving another member. She pushed and pushed for us to host an event that, in hosting, would cost us about 90% of our financial assets. I was the only one who opposed it and did so since there was no guarantee of return. We spent almost everything we had and lost every bit of it. At that point, I decided I really did not want to work and work and work for the funds to be wasted carelessly so I quietly left. And took a much needed break from non-profit.

Almost, three years ago, when I joined the BDSM lifestyle, I started donating time and energy to them. To have finally settled into something that I love, that I see the results of is wonderful. I am not sure how much people will view it as volunteering, but I don't get paid so to me, it counts-lol.

:sparklyheart:

Sparkle
07-22-2011, 10:18 AM
Thank you, Volunteers!!! The work you do is so necessary and invaluable.

Most of the non-profit fundraising work I do is completely reliant on volunteer support, especially in this economy. I currently work with a volunteer board and they are fantastic, they do so much work and have so much enthusiasm; they make my work much more fun.

I am currently volunteering on two fundraising projects. (a hazard of being a professional fundraiser). One is a benefit for friend who is undergoing some horrific surgeries, the other is setting up an endowed scholarship fund in the memory of two classmates for my 20th HS Reunion next summer.

I would really love to do some volunteer work that didn't involve fundraising though, I will strive for that when I've finished these projects.

A happy volunteer story...

When I first moved to London and I was applying for my residency based on my same-sex relationship, I could not work (legally) and I could not travel (because my passport was in the home office - for 2!!! years)...

I became a full-time volunteer with Stonewall Lobby Group, the largest LGBT lobby group in Europe. It was one of the best things I have ever done.

I was working in the office when monumental legal change was happening:
the ban on gays in the military was lifted, Section 28 was repealed, LGBT adoption was made legal, same-sex immigration was legitimized, and the groundwork was being laid for civil unions.

To be *there* as it was happening, where it was happening was life changing for me. It restored my hope and it gave me a real sense of value and accomplishment -- both things I desperately needed at that time (because of my own legal struggle to remain with my partner). And the icing on the cake was that I met some of the most famous queers in the UK and I organized events at some of the poshest places in London. And most important, I made incredible friendships that I still have today.

When my residency visa was approved, I had a paying job within a week because of the networks I had developed for myself through Stonewall.

Ever since then I've made it a priority to do some volunteer work, however small the time I have to give.

Volunteering is good for the organization and equally good for yourself.

So, thank you again to each of your who volunteers time somewhere or with someone.
You're doing important work.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Arwen
07-22-2011, 11:04 AM
I volunteer with a breed rescue group, B.R.A.T (http://www.basenjirescue.org/). We rescue Basenji and Basenji-mix dogs. I primarily do home visits. I've driven down to San Antonio and back to make sure a home was a good one. I'm delighted to say that particular home took in a lovely 9 year old B. They met my Nayru, who is the perfect ambassador for the breed. Another family here in Austin also met her. They adopted a rascally 7 month old mix.

I'm passionate about rescue. All of my animals that I currently have were strays other than Nayru (and my eldest cat...he was heading to the shelter when I scooped him up 10 years or so ago.)

I'd like to get involved with our local literacy program as well. Reading opened my world up. I'd like to do that for someone else.

Great thread, ALH.

Inked_Trinity
07-22-2011, 11:14 AM
I volunteer at a no-kill animal shelter. I do a lot of transports for them. Picking up animals from other shelters so they have a better chance for adoption. I also work with the cats, socializing them.

Diva
07-22-2011, 11:27 AM
What a terrific thread! Glad it was bumped!

My Mom was the best influence on me as far as "giving back"....I've been a volunteer of some sort since I was 15....starting in a nursing home as a Red Cross Volunteer...then here at Breckenridge Hospital.....

In college, I read to elementary children in the library. And on and on.......

Currently, I'm a volunteer for Dell Children's Hospital and Out Youth. Also, I run errands for Safe Place.

One thing I love to do is throw my bi~annual parties and have a cause......so my guests bring things (their "entrance fee") to donate.....one year it was for Toys For Tots, Safe Place, the Austin Food Pantry (which serves women who are dealing with HIV/AIDS), Blue Santa, etc. It makes a party worth throwing, to be sure!

Volunteering is a marvelous way to give of Yourself. It just feels good and good is done!

Soft*Silver
07-22-2011, 04:31 PM
Interesting...two people repped me for this post today. I just acquired fencing to put up dog kennels! Someone was giving it away and I grabbed it! I have a friend putting it up for me and next I need to work on some dog houses. Now the dogs can come to me and be quarantined outside until they see the vet and have enuf time to display symptoms if they are harboring any contagious diseases.



one of the exciting things that will happen once I move to Rose Cottage, is my ability to foster dogs. We have a local pound that is a kill pound. Every Friday. I am going to work with a local charity that pulls these dogs on Thursdays. They need foster homes. I wil specialize in the big breed of dogs. I have a newf now and I'm getting newf 2 after I move.) I am fencing the back yard and will be putting up a kennel to isolate them from my personal pets until we get a health clearance..then they can come into the house...

I am a Master Gardener too and for my community service I will be setting up some kind of horticulture therapy activity. One year I put in a children's garden for an inner city program that worked with kids who were infected or affected by HIV. This years activity will be smaller..I have alot on my plate right now but I will think of something.

TrixieSwizzle
07-22-2011, 04:46 PM
This is a great thread!!!

~" You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give." Winston Churchill

I have always tried to give back, volunteered with the Red Cross with the hurricanes Katrina and Rita, no-kill animal shelter, Aids Peer Counselor, you name it. When I was young i never realized what a feeling it gives you to help someone out with what you may take for granted. I commend all of you!!! Take pride in yourselves and never become cynical of what you can do for others - not everyone is out to take advantage, some just need a hand and if we can do it why not? I always feel that there by the grace of God go i.....

Once again GREAT THREAD!!!

deb_U_taunt
07-22-2011, 05:42 PM
Every June, the dept at work with, we spend a week prepping and painting a vet's, disabled or eldery person's home.
Last year our dept in the fall had a carnival for the preschool kids at Neighborhood House.
The battered women's shelter, some friends and I each took a room and decorated and made them nicer.
The company I work for also lets us take paid time off to work projects for United Way. Painted the interior of the Indian Walk in Center, tied ribbons for the Aids Foundation, cleaned up schools, cleaned, painted shelters, one of my favorite years round things to do, is baking cakes and having small birthday parties for the kids at the shelter.

Starbuck
10-04-2011, 08:02 PM
I volunteer two different ways.

First: I'm a Graphics coordinator during praise and worship services at church, for all three services on Sunday mornings and sometimes on Wednesday nights. Basically I run the power point program that puts up the words for the songs so everyone knows what to sing. It's a rather intricate job. After that I'm responsible for loading sermon notes that coincide with what pastor is talking about, and that ain't always easy because he doesn't always follow the guide he's given me. But it's a lot of fun.

Secondly: I volunteer at the Oklahoma City Veterans Hospital with one of the Recreational Therapists. My main job is to help her keep caught up on paperwork and data entry from her calendar to the computer. I also ask patients what they need when they come to her door to see if I can help them, that way she isn't slowed down in what she's doing. She lovingly calls me her "Door Dragon". Rawr... She also has a pet therapy dog that needs to be taken out for potty breaks and I get to do that as well. But when the dog is given the command "release", I get to play with her. :)

suebee
10-05-2011, 07:42 AM
I've done different things over the years as a volunteer. But in the last couple of years I've realized that volunteer work often took a lot of time away from all of the animals I've adopted. So now I just try to spend time with them, and when the need arises, I foster motherless kittens. Of course, the trick is to be able to let them go when they're weaned. :blues:

Amber2010
10-05-2011, 08:03 AM
I love our veterans and that is where a good deal of my volunteering is. I help with dinners and also do Buddy Poppy drives and for those who do not know what a Buddy Poppy is they are little flowers that are given out and people make a donation. That money goes to our Unmet needs for the veterans and can go anywhere from the young men and women coming home and need assistance with their bills to the ones in hospitals. I also am part of the VFWLA in my area and these women help with our veterans and also we bring in money to help with cancer research.
I also volunteer at my local Civic Theatre. I use to love being a actress before kids but now I help with everything from putting up/tearing down sets to seating and the food stand.
I also do work full time and still have one kid at home. I guess I am someone who likes to keep busy and be a part of the community. Plus I love people and making friends. :)

Liam
10-05-2011, 08:07 AM
I volunteer in a VA Medical Center Pharmacy, once a week.

Inuus
10-05-2011, 09:12 AM
I volunteer at my local animal shelter. It's a kill shelter so it's sometimes extremely emotionally draining. If I am there when animals get put down I try to be right there with them and hold them on their journey to the other side.

I do have some good stories my favorite is when I first started volunteering they knew me from the food/snack/litter drop offs I used to bring down to them. They all knew I had a Boxer and was passionate about them. They said they had two young Boxers a brother and sister (that I named umm Brother and Sissy..I know not that original). They had been horribly abused physically and mentally. The shelter was going to put them down but I begged them to give me 1 week with them to see if I could make any progress.

They werent aggression just terribly afraid of humans. If you went into the kennel with them they would shake so bad they would lose both their bowels and urine. I had to carry them outside to the play area everyday because they were terrified of leashes. Kind of tiresome carrying two 65 pound dogs!
When they were in the play area they would romp and play but wouldnt come anywhere near me. I used to sit for hours everyday with my eyes downcast and my back to them gaining their trust and hot dogs helped too ;)
Within 3 days of this the male finally came over and sniffed my back and in time allowed me to toss him hot dog pieces. By the end of that week I was able to be within about 10 feet of them without too much trouble. The shelter staff gave me the promise if I worked with them daily they wouldnt put them down.

It was hard to swing it because I was working two jobs but I worked with them daily for about a maybe 2 weeks before the male finally took a hot dog from my hand. About that time a lovely older couple came in and fell in love with them despite their faults. We agreed if they made the effort and came down and worked with me and the dogs on the weekends they could possibly adopt them. Well they did do their part and in time the dogs accepted them...well as much as they could at that point. I made it clear these dogs would never be "normal" dogs. They would need constant work and patience. Since the couple had rescued an abused Mastiff(it had recently passed) they adopted both Brother and Sissy(now named Mosley and Layla).

This couple lives about a mile from me and I visit the dogs often. They have come a long ways. They are spoiled and loved by this wonderful couple who accepts them as they are. It's the best outcome I could have hoped for.

I dont do a lot of hands on training like I used to do there, but I coordinate with breed rescues all over the US willing to take some of the great dogs we get. It's extremely rewarding. Although it can be heart breaking and emotionally draining, I love what I do! I know I have personally been part of saving several dogs and some cats from sure death.

I took next Saturday off for our biggest event of the year Bark In The Park...I cant wait!.

Just a thought for those who love to take pictures. Most shelters would be overjoyed to have someone volunteer to take pictures of the animals up for adoption...your talents could save a life :)

princessbelle
10-05-2011, 09:20 AM
OMG you all!!!!

This is truly an inspirational thread and wow i'm really so proud of you!!!!

Thank you all for your volunteer work, it truly makes a difference.

I volunteered at the free clinic up town for several years on and off, but i must admit, i haven't been up there since last November. I just got busy i suppose. That is no excuse. This thread has motivated me to call them today and see when they need help next.

There are some amazing doctors and nurses that donate their time and hang in there through thick and thin and i have fallin short. The patients are without insurance, a lot of kids needing vaccines, elderly needing flu shots, a lot of HIV and homeless people line up at the door daily.

It is a true blessing to be there and when i walk away at the end of the day i am so emotionally happy i usually just overflow with tears.

Thank you all for reminding me what is important.

Kudos to all of you!!!!!! :bunchflowers:

Dominique
10-05-2011, 09:20 AM
They call it Friends of the Library.

I am a volunteer at my local Library.

Libraries and Librarians are not just about the books. They're about the people. Which is why supporting the library system is critical. What is TRUE is at this juncture, our libraries need us as much as we need them.

Bard
10-05-2011, 09:33 AM
I volunteer at a horse rescue here well I do when I am in one piece lol
NYsunshinehorses.org they help horses that are coming off the track and we take in ones from the area as well.

Nat
01-18-2012, 08:21 PM
I'm currently tutoring an Iranian woman, but seriously she teaches me more than I teach her. She's already got a stellar brain and a pretty good command of English. Half the questions she has are questions I have to look up in order to help explain. They are the shades of difference between words that are similar, just small things.

But now the Literacy Council has asked me to be on their board, and I've agreed. I'm overwhelmed but honored. I started a facebook page for them. I need to set them up with PayPal. They aren't tech-savvy. I'm not super-savvy either, but I know how to start up a PayPal account so I'm golden.

-----------------------

There is an awesome graveyard I saw recently. It's an African-American graveyard just outside the main cemetery next to the railroad tracks which up until 2002 had mostly unmarked graves. The origins are not entirely recorded, but it is thought that slaves, former slaves and their descendents have been buried there. In 2002, the cemetery was restored, and all the unmarked graves were marked with markers with the word "unknown." Each grave was also given a cross or silk flowers, and a large iron fence was put up around the entire perimeter.

Last week I took M to see it. Somebody had bulldozed into it with what had to be a massive truck or tractor or piece of machinery. A large beer bottle in a bag lay on the ground outside the mangled and uprooted fence. Many of the crosses and flowers had been uprooted.

M and I went through and picked up and replaced all the flowers and crosses that we could - though two of the crosses were broken. The fence is too expensive for us to replace, but I'm hoping to find a place to make some donations toward fixing it. I suppose it could have been an accident, except that the crosses and flowers looked like they'd been kicked and pulled up randomly - not knocked down by a truck. It was a small reminder that this town isn't especially welcoming or safe for people of color.

Anyway, I like cemeteries. I think on my own if I could get my sh*t together, I would wander local cemeteries with a trash bag and pick up trash, right tombstones small enough for me to handle and generally spread a bit of love among the dead. I know I'm weird.

Here's an article about the cemetery (http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=17193) - apparently it cost $22 a foot to build the fence.

1QuirkyKiwi
01-19-2012, 06:37 AM
I’m a volunteer Arts Co-ordinator for a Disabled Arts Studio and the local Hospice. I sew and hand embroider blankets for the local Special Care Baby Unit and the Hospice, as well as sewing and hand embroidering soft toys and other items for these places to raffle at Christmas and Summer Fetes.

I’ve been a volunteer Arts Co-ordinator in Nursing homes, other Disabled Arts Studios and Hospices’ in other cities I’ve lived. I was a volunteer for the NZ Red Cross and on my first time of living in the UK for the British Red Cross.

Edited to Add: Not sure if this counts; I take rescued kittens and cats until they have a forever home to go to or if they get on well with my tribe, live with us.

Turino
01-25-2012, 06:09 AM
I have been volunteering since I was a late teenager in many organizations dealing with anti-nukes, anti-violence, pro-environment, animal rescue, pro-consumer, queer, etc

Currently I am active with the local Community Emergency Response Team doing fire response, traffic control , triage...and I am a certified SAR Tech on the land based search and rescue team.
My other big commitment is as a Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Prevention Officer and Human Resources officer in the US Coast Guard Auxiliary

Scuba
01-25-2012, 09:17 AM
Volunteer Water Rescue
Habitat for Humanity