January 25, 2010

Tips To Help You Get Started Volunteering


Sometimes, the hardest part of volunteering can be finding an opportunity that fits your personality. Below are some great tips to help you get involved, and to make your volunteer experience a more enjoyable and rewarding one.

Research the causes or issues important to you. Look for a group that works with issues about which you feel strongly. There is no end to the creative avenues for volunteering, just as there is no end to the need for volunteers.

Consider the skills you have to offer. If you enjoy outdoor work, have a knack for teaching, or just enjoy interacting with people, you may want to look for volunteer work that would incorporate these aspects of your personality. This sort of position allows you to jump right into the work without having to take training to prepare for the assignment.
Would you like to learn something new? Perhaps you would like to learn a new skill or gain exposure to a new situation. Many nonprofits seek out people who are willing to learn. Realize beforehand, however, that such work might require a time commitment for training before the actual volunteer assignment begins.

Don't over-commit your schedule. Make sure the volunteer hours you want to give fit into your hectic life, so that you don't frustrate your family, exhaust yourself, shortchange the organization you're trying to help or neglect your job. Better to start out slowly than to commit yourself to a schedule you can't or don't want to fulfill.

Nonprofits may have questions, too. While most nonprofits are eager to find volunteer help, they have to be careful when accepting the services you offer. If you contact an organization with an offer to volunteer your time, you may be asked to come in for an interview, fill out a volunteer application, or describe your qualifications and your background. Consider volunteering as a family. Think about looking for a volunteer opportunity suitable for parents and children to do together, or for a husband and wife to take on as a team.

Virtual volunteering? If you have computer access and the necessary skills, some organizations now offer the opportunity to do volunteer work over the computer. This might take the form of giving free legal advice, typing a college term paper for a person with a disability, or simply keeping in contact with a shut-in who has e-mail.

I never thought of that! Many community groups are looking for volunteers, and some may not have occurred to you. Here are some volunteer opportunities that may not have crossed your mind:
- Museums, Art Galleries, and Monuments
- Prisons, Neighborhood Parks, Youth Organizations, Sports Teams, and after-school programs, Shelters for Battered Women and Children
- Historical Restorations, Battlefields and National Parks
- 1-800-Volunteer.org, a service of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, provides listings of local and virtual volunteering as well as contact information for Volunteer Centers across the nation.

Give voice to your heart through your giving and volunteering! Bring your heart and your sense of humor to your volunteer service, along with your enthusiastic spirit, which in itself is a priceless gift. What you'll get back will be immeasurable!

All tips are courtesy of ABC's national partner the Points of Light Network & Volunteer Center National Network.

FEBRUARY PROGRAMS

Babysitting Workshop
Tuesday, February 2nd from 6:00 – 8:00pm
Registered nurses Joanne Tanck and Georgette Basso return to present a two-hour basic first aid course and an introduction to babysitting skills. Learn the basics of caring for infants and small children along with first aid techniques. Bring a Cabbage Patch or similarly-sized doll or stuffed animal. All participants will receive a Certificate. Please sign up in advance at the Adult Reference Desk. This is a FREE program open to those in grades 6 – 12.

Book Buddies
Teens and children become “buddies” by sharing books and a positive library experience. Children get a chance to practice their reading skills and/or be read to while teens gain volunteer experience, community service credit and a chance to make a difference in a child’s life. Sign up to be a Book Buddy at the Adult Reference Desk. Little Buddies ages 4 - 8 can sign-up at the Children’s Desk. Book Buddies will meet on:
Mondays, February 22nd, March 1st, 8th, 15th and 22nd from 3:30-4:15pm

Teen Meditation
Tuesday, February 16th 7:30 – 9:00pm
Feel like you’re not able to always get it together? Sometimes you just want to just yell or hide your head, especially when you have to prepare for an exam or put together a difficult homework assignment? This great 1 ½ hour class on meditation will give you the skills to improve your ability to focus and feel an inner sense of calm. Be in charge of your emotions, instead of the other way around. Join Irene Karp, RN, MS, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Hypnotist and have some fun! Sign up in advance at the Adult Reference Desk. This is a FREE program open to those in grades 6 – 12.

SAT Prep Course
Learn tricks and techniques for taking the SATs. Enhance your math and verbal skills while learning test taking strategies that can help you get a higher score. This 6-week course will be held from 6:45-8:45 on the following Thursday evenings: March 4th, 11th, 18th and April 1st, 15th and 22nd
Sign up at the Adult Reference Desk. The fee is $80.00 per student. Checks only. Please make checks payable to Melissa Bielawski. No refunds. Students must purchase the following book for the class: McGraw-Hill’s SAT I, 2010 Edition (ISBN 978-0071625463) Sign-Up for the SAT Prep Course Begins February 1st.



Chess Club
Children (3rd-6th Grade) 7:00-7:55pmYA & Adults (7th-Adult) 8:00-8:55pm Our chess club will meet on the following Tuesdays: January 5th and 19th, and February 2nd and 16th. New players welcome! Register on any night the club meets. We will be having a Chess Tournament this March - stay tuned for details.



Knit ‘N Sit
Join Mrs. Tymecki to make interesting crocheting projects. Beginner and experienced crocheters are welcome. Crochet, socialize and earn community service hours too! Knit ‘N Sit will meet Tuesdays, February 2nd and 16th from 4:30 – 5:30pm.