Giving back to the community is something everyone should do more. It’s an important thing to do if you are invested in its well-being. There are plenty of ways you can help, like recycling or donating clothes, but if you have a lot of spare time on your hands, find a place to volunteer regularly. Using your free time to give back can be so rewarding, but it isn’t always easy to figure out which volunteering opportunities are best for you. That’s why we’ve taken the time to list out the best ways to volunteer in your community.
Schools
If you have children, one of the easiest ways to volunteer is through their school. Schools and extracurriculars are always looking for more help from their students’ parents, whether it’s serving lunch, watching recess, or helping out at sporting events.
There are even more options if you want to go above and beyond, however. If you are knowledgeable on a specific topic, you could sign up as a tutor if the school has a program for that. If they don’t, you could be the one to set it up. You could also set up a summer reading program to help students keep their minds refreshed over the long break. Talk to your child’s teacher or the school’s administration to see what kinds of needs you can help fill.
Fire Departments
If you want to spend your spare time saving lives and have some prior knowledge on how to do so, becoming a volunteer firefighter might be just the opportunity you’re looking for. While you won’t be putting your life on the line in the same way a paid firefighter will, it will still be a dangerous job and require you to be ready for anything. There are quite a few essentials that you will need if this is the route you want to take.
People in Need
However, there are still plenty of opportunities for those who want to help others without taking too many risks. Volunteering at soup kitchens, retirement homes, or food banks will allow you to assist those who are most in need.
If you want to take it a step further, be a part of building a home with Habitat for Humanity. Red Cross and the YMCA both have strong volunteering programs as well. Be sure to search for which companies in your area are looking for volunteers to help with their efforts.
Animal Shelters
Our final way to volunteer in your community is to help out at an animal shelter. Many of these establishments are understaffed and can use all the extra hands they can get. Even if you aren’t the best at handling pets, they have plenty of tasks that don’t deal with the animals directly, such as cleaning and filling food and water dishes.
