Volunteering

[MelissaHudgens]

Has anyone volunteered their time for a good cause?
I usually like to work for pay, but I'm feeling lately that my life is too "me" focused, and I'm trying to do more selfless acts.

What type of volunteer work have you done?
How does it make you feel?

 

[kid dynamite]

I have volunteered and/or donated my massage therapy services with equine and canine rescue organizations, as well as, with the geriatric population in a retirement facility.

Feels very rewarding to me...nothing else like it...well, maybe like watching a hummingbird.

EDIT: P.S. seekingequanimity got me thinking. Aside from massage...I've also volunteered with a Birds Of Prey rehabilitator; cleaning cages, feeding, fundraising, and doing other activities that support her organization (she was always looking for someone to help with grant writing)...and currently I volunteer at an equine rescue facility leading horses, grooming, feeding, watering, mucking stalls and other fun, dirty, stuff!

 

[Marlon]

I am looking for a new volunteer position right now. For almost 6 years I was involved with a citizen branch of the judicial department charged with reviewing the case plans of children under the care of the state (usually foster children). It was very interesting and I recently left that position to try something else.

Before that I was a rape victim advocate and would be "on call" one night a month, to go to the hospital in case there was a rape victim that needed a friendly face and a hand to hold, and we would give them the business card of the (paid)advocate that would be handling their case....come morning. That was also interesting and different than I had expected. I did that for about 2 years.

I choose to keep my volunteer work and my massage business separate. For different reasons. One being that even though massage is the best and most enjoyable job I have ever had, it is, to me a job, and I think of it too much as work, to also be doing it as a volunteer position. Or maybe the right opportunity hasn't presented itself? I don't know.

This has gotten me thinking more about what I might want to do next. I think I still want to work with children, but more directly this time around.
Thanks for bringing up the topic,
Noel

 

[mom-to-be]

I am a peer support volunteer with the Canadian Cancer Society; I also help run a breast cancer support group.

I also donate my time for either massage or myofascial release. I love what I do, and am happy to go to our church camp for a day and do bodywork on people that are volunteering of their time for the the week. I love to see the look of amazement on their face when they have never had bodywork and it makes them feel so much better.

Every month I make a lunch for up to 50 people at church.

I think that's most of it!