Singles Magazine -

Singles The Magazine for Today's Single
From Our Sponsors: More Stress Relievers in our Fun 'N Games room	*COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:* *Volunteering - a Model Role for Singles* From Singles, The Magazine for Today's Single Volunteering became the hot trend in the 90’s. According to a study conducted by the Independent Sector and the Gallup Organization in 1995, about 93 million adults ages eighteen and over volunteered in 1995, an increase of four million since 1993. Thirty-five to fifty-five-year-olds were the most giving of their time, followed by twenty-five to thirty-four-year-olds. On average, volunteers gave 4.2 hours per week, and devoted an estimated total of 20.3 billion hours to both formal and informal volunteering in 1995. Eighty-five percent of those doing volunteer work are working on one or more serious social problems. Of that group, 55 percent help the elderly and 46 percent volunteer for a child or youth-related problem. Additionally, more women than men volunteer (52 percent to 45 percent). With the tremendous number of people volunteering, you may assume many organizations aren’t in dire need of volunteers, but this is false. An overwhelming number of non-profit organizations and other businesses need other people’s generosity to survive. Additionally, there are still millions of homeless people across the globe who need y our help in soup kitchens and homeless shelters. HIV patients and other people stricken with an array of illnesses, from cancer to other diseases, need help to just survive. And then there are children. Children and young adults need friends, role models and teachers to help them on their journey to become productive citizens. You are still needed. Erica Manfred had been feeling lonely the last few months after having moved from New York City to rural upstate New York. She decided to volunteer to be a gallery sitter at a local arts council two afternoons a week. Volunteering was not only an escape from her house, but she also earned the endless gratitude of an overworked, underpaid staff. Her work was exhibited in a show at the gallery, and she wound up with new friends and more New Year’s Eve party invitations than she’d ever gotten in her life (Manfred 178). Pedro Jose Greer is a 32-year-old Miami physician who wanted to use his time to help others. Four years ago, Greer opened up a medical clinic and shelter called Camillus House. By 1992 he had 130 volunteer doctors and medical personnel working on 40 homeless patients a day. At the University of Miami medical school, where he is a professor in hepatology, there is a three-month long waiting list for the "homeless elective" for medical students. (Simpson 23). And then there is Andy Lipkis. Inspired by the belief that planting trees can reduce smog, protect the ozone layer, feed the hungry and even save the planet, he volunteered his time to make a difference. And make a difference he has. TreePeople, the organization he founded more than 15 years ago, is directly or indirectly responsible for planting more than 170 million trees around the world since its inception. TreePeople draws volunteers from every walk of life, from senior citizens to grade school children, who plant trees. He has persuaded nurseries to donate unsold seedlings that would have otherwise been destroyed and arranged for the California National Guard to help transport the trees. Now Lipkis’ TreePeople has an annual budget of half a million dollars, raised entirely by donations (Simpson 25). If you interested in volunteering there are many organizations you can help. Environmental, political, children and animal organizations abound and now there are even volunteer vacations, where you can travel anywhere in the world, sometimes completely free, and help those in need. Lastly, if you would rather volunteer without leaving the comfort of your home, virtual volunteering may be for you. So, if you would like to volunteer some of your time to a cause you believe in or find interesting, there is a place for you to turn. There are many reasons to volunteer, not the least of which is to help others. But you shouldn’t feel guilty if you would like to benefit from the exchange as well. If you’re looking for caring people, volunteering is one of the best places to find them. The people you meet will posses qualities like commitment, benevolence, decency, and just plain niceness-attributes too often in short supply these days. Need to strengthen your resume? Volunteering is a great way-especially if you’re a recent college graduate or don’t possess a lot of experience. As for connections, the board of directors of nonprofit organizations are made up of the most wealthy and influential people in their communities (Manfred 178). Susan Ellis, an expert on volunteering, has advice to offer to those who are contemplating volunteering. She says many people volunteer for a wide variety of reasons, especially wanting to help others. But it’s normal to volunteer for the personal benefits. "The best volunteering does involve the desire to serve others," Ellis says. "But this does not exclude other motivations" (Impact Online). Ellis believes it is good to think of volunteering as an exchange. She contends most people find themselves in need at some point in their lives. So today you may be the person who can offer help to someone else, but tomorrow you may be the recipient of someone else’s volunteer effort. Volunteering also includes "self-help". For example, if you are active in your neighborhood watch, your home is protected while you protect your neighbor’s homes, too (Impact Online). Another reason to volunteer is for health reasons. A recent study by Cornell University found that volunteering boosts self-esteem and energy and gives Americans a sense of mastery over their lives, particularly later in life. That may be why Americans in a smaller, preliminary Cornell study said they would like to spend as much time doing volunteer work as they now spend on leisure activities. Phyllis Moen, the Ferris Family Professor in Life Course Studies in human development and sociology and the director of the Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center at Cornell worked on the study and reported his findings to national volunteering experts at "The National Forum on Life Cycles and Volunteering: The Impact of Work, Family and Mid-Life Issues". Moen found that the benefits of volunteering affect not only those currently working as volunteers but also people who have ever volunteered, especially those in formal volunteering capacities. The feelings of competency you receive from volunteering stay with you long after you cease the activity. The study found that volunteering helps enhance our sense of identity and promotes on-going social relationships. Moen says that, "volunteering gives us a sense of ourselves as engaged in meaningful, productive activities that help change the world and a wider view of our possibilities, which benefit our psychological well-being". The study found that if a person volunteers they are more likely to feel they can make a difference in the world and therefore feel more in control of their own lives. One of those people is Chris Renner, who helped create Food Partnership, Inc. outside of Los Angeles. It bothered him that food banks were spending enormous amounts of money in transport fees to collect donations. With the help of the California Trucking Association and United Way, he worked out a method for trucks to transport food between donors and food banks when they were returning empty from another trucking expedition. So far, the program has carried nearly four millions pounds of food and saved the banks $55,000 in trucking fees. Another volunteer who made a difference is Suzanne Firtko, an architectural historian in New York City, who invented the Street Sheet, instructions that direct homeless people to the nearest soup kitchens and clothes banks. She persuaded DuPont to donate waterproof, tear-resistant paper, and designed the sheets with easy-to-understand graphics so the disoriented and illiterate could use them. The first year the entire operation cost $1,800. But the money and time put into the operation is invaluable when you realize how many people could get food, clothes and a place to sleep because of her caring and volunteerism. A greater proportion of Americans volunteer regularly than do citizens of any other country (Cornell study). Since so many people are volunteering, this may be an ideal way to meet new people. To fill this need, new groups have formed which cater to singles that would like to volunteer and meet new people. One of those groups is Single Volunteers, an organization of single, divorced, and widowed people who, through volunteerism, meet and make friends and develop relationships, both romantic and otherwise. The group started at the beginning of 1997 and has grown at an incredible rate. This non-profit group has no membership fees but does have two requirements to join: You must be single and be willing to volunteer. The concept behind this group is relatively simple. Project leaders work with interested non-profit organizations to find projects with which Single Volunteers can help. These projects can be anything from answering phones during a telethon to building houses to staffing blood drives or stuffing envelopes. The Single Volunteers staff and project leaders work to compile a team of volunteers (equal in the number of men and women, and all relatively within the same age group, give or take 10 years) who get together to get the project done. Their national headquarters is located at http://singlevolunteers.org. Chapters are now hosted in Canada and Australia as well as the US. Check out their website for chapters in your area. If you still haven’t found an organization which suits your needs, there are a host of other resources available to you. Here are some ideas to help you get started. Save the Environment. Be a tree person. Tree People, a citizen forestry organization, started in Los Angeles with the goal of planting a million trees. Now local groups are forming across the country. Contact the American Forests Association, 1516 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 667-3300. Plant a garden. A New York City organization called Green Guerilla plants community gardens in vacant lots; if you live in a city there’s bound to be a similar group. Try your local parks department, or contact the American Community Gardening Association, 325 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; (215) 625-8280. Befriend the Animals.Help out homeless dogs and cats. Your local animal shelter desperately needs animal lovers to care for strays that are awaiting adoption. Look up your local humane society, or contact the Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; (202) 452-1100. Adopt a whale. When you do so, your money will go toward preservation of the species. In return you will receive a photo of "your" whale. Annual fee is fifteen dollars. Contact International Wildlife Coalition Whale Adoption Project, Dept. 92COS, 634 North Falmouth Highway, North Falmouth, MA 02556; (508) 564-9980. Rehabilitate injured wildlife. This can involve anything from cleaning oil-soaked birds after a spill to spotting injured wild animals and helping to rescue them. Call your local animal shelter or nature center, or contact the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, c/o Carpenter Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings, MN 55033; (612) 437-9194. Keep track of birds and prey. Every fall, in seven western states, an organization called Hawkwatch uses volunteers to help capture, measure, and band these birds. Purpose: to learn more about their migration patterns. For more information, call (505) 255-7622, or write Hawkwatch, PO Box 35706, Albuquerque, NM 87176. Children in Need. Be a Big Sister or Big Brother. Big Sisters/Big Brothers is based on the unique concept of a one-to-one relationship between an adult volunteer and a needy child of the same sex. Volunteers spend a few hours a week with their "little sisters or little brothers" talking, reading, going to the zoo or the park. Look up your local chapter or contact Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, 230 N. 13^th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107; (215) 567-7000. Help people in need. Join the Red Cross. This organization emphasizes career development for volunteers. Their board of directors is network heaven, both influential and powerful. The Red Cross provides not only disaster relief, but also swimming lessons for children, classes in first aid and CPR, care of the elderly and youth leadership programs. Contact the director of personnel at your local chapter. Build housing for the poor. In cities across the country, people are working for Habitat for Humanity, an organization that restores neglected housing and constructs new housing for the poor. Bonus: Habitat attracts mostly male volunteers. Call 800-HABITAT for more information. Teach an adult illiterate how to read. Tutoring doesn’t require a special degree, all you need are adequate reading and writing skills. You complete a brief training course offered by your local literacy education center, then allocate about one evening per week to teaching. Either call your local library to see if it has a literacy program, or contact the Coalition for Literacy at (800) 228-8813. More ideas Work on a political campaign. Even if your candidate loses, you’ll have a good time and meet lots of people. And is he or she wins, the politician may offer you a job. Contact your local Democratic or Republican Party, or your favorite candidate directly (Manfred 178). Be a patron of the arts. Every ballet company, symphony, theater and museum is hurting for money and can use your help ushering, stage managing, fund-raising, ticket-taking and publicity. If you’re interested in a career in the arts, this is one way to get started. Call your favorite cultural cause and ask for the volunteer coordinator. Join the Junior League. A variety of volunteer programs are available, from rape counseling to visiting boarder babies in hospitals. You’ll meet lots of potential friends, make invaluable contacts and get to try out different volunteer opportunities. Look up your local chapter for more information. If nothing appeals to you as of yet, consider buying, "What Can I Do to Make a Difference?" By Richard Zimmerman. This book lists hundreds more ideas for volunteering, along with the names and addresses of corresponding nonprofit organizations. Another way to volunteer is volunteer vacations. According to author Bill McMillon, author of "Volunteer Vacations: A Directory of Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others", more Americans than ever are discovering the pleasure of combining travel with volunteerism. Although there are no hard numbers detailing participation rates, the number of organizations offering these trips has more than doubled in the past couple of years and few have been canceled because of lack of interest. Excavating medieval ruins in France, budding churches in East Africa, planting trees with the US Forest Service and teaching swimming in Nepal are just a few examples. Projects usually last from one to six weeks and range in price from nothing to transportation to $2,000 plus travel expenses. Laura Farnsworth, a marketing representative from Irvine, Texas has tried volunteer vacations and would never trade the experience. Her first trip took her to Australia’s outback where she caught and tagged kangaroos for two weeks. "These were by far my best vacations," Farnsworth says. There are three main types of volunteer vacations; social-action, environment and research. Though there are exceptions, social-action programs are by far the least expensive volunteer vacations. Most require an application fee, but room and board are provided by the host project. But you should be prepared to put in rigorous 40-hour weeks. "You could spend the summer in Europe on almost nothing by going from project to project," McMillon says. Those who prefer to mix volunteerism with leisure can opt for a sports oriented program sponsored by an organization like the American Lung Association. This well-known group offers pledge-funded trips for cyclists, cross-country skiers and even dogsledders. Environment oriented vacations are also available, where you may go hiking or backpacking into wilderness areas where they bound and clear trails, revegetate land or do other maintenance work. These trips usually run for a week, with most days equally divided between work and free time. Research projects are also a possibility. Gathering data on endangered species and habitats clearly aids the Save-the Whales effort. Whether volunteers map the behavior of humpback whales or take part in art, historical, archaeological or social-science research, they are first and foremost helping to educate. If you would like to receive more information on a volunteer vacation contact nonprofit organizations directly, most offer volunteer opportunities and are happy to give whatever information you need (Livermore 46-47). Lastly, if you’d like to volunteer but don’t have the time to travel, virtual volunteering may be for you. The nonprofit organization, Impact Online (www.impactonline.org), launched a new program called virtual volunteering. It seeks to encourage development of volunteer activities that can be completed off-site via the internet. Virtual volunteering allows anyone to contribute their time and expertise to nonprofit organizations, schools and other agencies which utilize volunteer services, without ever leaving the comfort of your home. Impact online defines two distinct forms of virtual volunteering: technical assistance and direct contact. Technical assistance includes conducting online research: finding information to use in an organization’s upcoming grant proposal or newsletter, gathering information on a particular governmental program or legislation that affects an agency’s clients. Also answering a nonprofit’s questions regarding human resource or management issues, designing a nonprofit’s newsletter or brochure or copyediting a publication or proposal, translating a document into or from another language or preparing information from a World Wide Web site. Direct contact is the other form of volunteering. Your duties could include electronically visiting with someone who is homebound, whether in a hospital or rest home via a chat room or e-mail, providing online mentoring and instruction to clients (help students with homework questions, help prison inmates with studies) help with language instruction or provide support to children (electronically visiting children in the hospital, support group members providing advice to each other, etc). Virtual volunteering is still a new and uncharted area for many organizations who may find it unsettling to have a volunteer working for them they have never met before. As a result of the newness of this idea, when you contact an organization, be ready to sell yourself and your idea to the prospective company. Tell them why you want to volunteer, what you hope to gain by volunteering or what sort of services you would like to provide. Contact your nearest volunteer center by phone or e-mail and ask for a list of volunteer opportunities. A list of volunteer centers across the Unites States can be accessed at http://www.volunteermatch.org/ . Contact organizations in your area that you personally believe in and ask them how you can help. Impact Online itself is also looking for volunteers to help conduct online research and promotions, develop web pages and write articles for their website. Contact them for more information and fill out a volunteer application via their website. Volunteering is both beneficial to whom you are helping and to yourself. You can help a homeless person feel like they matter to the world, you can give love and attention to a homeless dog or cat, help wild animals survive after oils pills and so much more. Individuals do matter and you can make a difference if you find something you believe and put your heart in it. Volunteers don’t need to devote hours a week to an organization to make a difference. Two hours a week can make a difference in your life and the lives of others. Also you can meet other people and feel good about yourself. When researchers inquire into the real reason why people volunteer the overwhelming response is a desire to do something useful. To comfort a child or patient, rescue a school or salvage a neighborhood, gives volunteers a sense of success that few jobs can match. The chance to make a difference in the lives of others is irresistible and honorable. Take control of your life and your world, volunteer. *Citation Note:* Beth Livermore’s article, "Lend-a-hand travel: the best vacations now combine a good time with a good cause", was published by Health, v22, n4, p 46, April 1990. Erica Manfred’s article, "Volunteerism: what you can gain by giving" was published in Cosmopolitan, v213, n5, p 178, Nov 1992. Janice Simpson’s article, "For goodness’ sakes; what Americans do when they see a crying need" was published in Time, v133, n2, p 20, Jan 9, 1989. Susan Ellis’ advice article can be accessed through Impact Online’s website at www.impactonline.org.

Singles
The Magazine for Today's Single

From Our Sponsors:

More Stress Relievers in our Fun 'N Games room

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

Volunteering - a Model Role for Singles

From Singles, The Magazine for Today's Single

Volunteering became the hot trend in the 90’s. According to a study conducted by the Independent Sector and the Gallup Organization in 1995, about 93 million adults ages eighteen and over volunteered in 1995, an increase of four million since 1993. Thirty-five to fifty-five-year-olds were the most giving of their time, followed by twenty-five to thirty-four-year-olds. On average, volunteers gave 4.2 hours per week, and devoted an estimated total of 20.3 billion hours to both formal and informal volunteering in 1995. Eighty-five percent of those doing volunteer work are working on one or more serious social problems. Of that group, 55 percent help the elderly and 46 percent volunteer for a child or youth-related problem. Additionally, more women than men volunteer (52 percent to 45 percent).

With the tremendous number of people volunteering, you may assume many organizations aren’t in dire need of volunteers, but this is false. An overwhelming number of non-profit organizations and other businesses need other people’s generosity to survive. Additionally, there are still millions of homeless people across the globe who need y our help in soup kitchens and homeless shelters. HIV patients and other people stricken with an array of illnesses, from cancer to other diseases, need help to just survive. And then there are children. Children and young adults need friends, role models and teachers to help them on their journey to become productive citizens. You are still needed.

Erica Manfred had been feeling lonely the last few months after having moved from New York City to rural upstate New York. She decided to volunteer to be a gallery sitter at a local arts council two afternoons a week. Volunteering was not only an escape from her house, but she also earned the endless gratitude of an overworked, underpaid staff. Her work was exhibited in a show at the gallery, and she wound up with new friends and more New Year’s Eve party invitations than she’d ever gotten in her life (Manfred 178).

Pedro Jose Greer is a 32-year-old Miami physician who wanted to use his time to help others. Four years ago, Greer opened up a medical clinic and shelter called Camillus House. By 1992 he had 130 volunteer doctors and medical personnel working on 40 homeless patients a day. At the University of Miami medical school, where he is a professor in hepatology, there is a three-month long waiting list for the "homeless elective" for medical students. (Simpson 23).

And then there is Andy Lipkis. Inspired by the belief that planting trees can reduce smog, protect the ozone layer, feed the hungry and even save the planet, he volunteered his time to make a difference. And make a difference he has. TreePeople, the organization he founded more than 15 years ago, is directly or indirectly responsible for planting more than 170 million trees around the world since its inception. TreePeople draws volunteers from every walk of life, from senior citizens to grade school children, who plant trees. He has persuaded nurseries to donate unsold seedlings that would have otherwise been destroyed and arranged for the California National Guard to help transport the trees. Now Lipkis’ TreePeople has an annual budget of half a million dollars, raised entirely by donations (Simpson 25).

If you interested in volunteering there are many organizations you can help. Environmental, political, children and animal organizations abound and now there are even volunteer vacations, where you can travel anywhere in the world, sometimes completely free, and help those in need. Lastly, if you would rather volunteer without leaving the comfort of your home, virtual volunteering may be for you. So, if you would like to volunteer some of your time to a cause you believe in or find interesting, there is a place for you to turn.

There are many reasons to volunteer, not the least of which is to help others. But you shouldn’t feel guilty if you would like to benefit from the exchange as well. If you’re looking for caring people, volunteering is one of the best places to find them. The people you meet will posses qualities like commitment, benevolence, decency, and just plain niceness-attributes too often in short supply these days. Need to strengthen your resume? Volunteering is a great way-especially if you’re a recent college graduate or don’t possess a lot of experience. As for connections, the board of directors of nonprofit organizations are made up of the most wealthy and influential people in their communities (Manfred 178).

Susan Ellis, an expert on volunteering, has advice to offer to those who are contemplating volunteering. She says many people volunteer for a wide variety of reasons, especially wanting to help others. But it’s normal to volunteer for the personal benefits. "The best volunteering does involve the desire to serve others," Ellis says. "But this does not exclude other motivations" (Impact Online).

Ellis believes it is good to think of volunteering as an exchange. She contends most people find themselves in need at some point in their lives. So today you may be the person who can offer help to someone else, but tomorrow you may be the recipient of someone else’s volunteer effort. Volunteering also includes "self-help". For example, if you are active in your neighborhood watch, your home is protected while you protect your neighbor’s homes, too (Impact Online).

Another reason to volunteer is for health reasons. A recent study by Cornell University found that volunteering boosts self-esteem and energy and gives Americans a sense of mastery over their lives, particularly later in life. That may be why Americans in a smaller, preliminary Cornell study said they would like to spend as much time doing volunteer work as they now spend on leisure activities.

Phyllis Moen, the Ferris Family Professor in Life Course Studies in human development and sociology and the director of the Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center at Cornell worked on the study and reported his findings to national volunteering experts at "The National Forum on Life Cycles and Volunteering: The Impact of Work, Family and Mid-Life Issues". Moen found that the benefits of volunteering affect not only those currently working as volunteers but also people who have ever volunteered, especially those in formal volunteering capacities. The feelings of competency you receive from volunteering stay with you long after you cease the activity.

The study found that volunteering helps enhance our sense of identity and promotes on-going social relationships. Moen says that, "volunteering gives us a sense of ourselves as engaged in meaningful, productive activities that help change the world and a wider view of our possibilities, which benefit our psychological well-being". The study found that if a person volunteers they are more likely to feel they can make a difference in the world and therefore feel more in control of their own lives.

One of those people is Chris Renner, who helped create Food Partnership, Inc. outside of Los Angeles. It bothered him that food banks were spending enormous amounts of money in transport fees to collect donations. With the help of the California Trucking Association and United Way, he worked out a method for trucks to transport food between donors and food banks when they were returning empty from another trucking expedition. So far, the program has carried nearly four millions pounds of food and saved the banks $55,000 in trucking fees.

Another volunteer who made a difference is Suzanne Firtko, an architectural historian in New York City, who invented the Street Sheet, instructions that direct homeless people to the nearest soup kitchens and clothes banks. She persuaded DuPont to donate waterproof, tear-resistant paper, and designed the sheets with easy-to-understand graphics so the disoriented and illiterate could use them. The first year the entire operation cost $1,800. But the money and time put into the operation is invaluable when you realize how many people could get food, clothes and a place to sleep because of her caring and volunteerism.

A greater proportion of Americans volunteer regularly than do citizens of any other country (Cornell study). Since so many people are volunteering, this may be an ideal way to meet new people. To fill this need, new groups have formed which cater to singles that would like to volunteer and meet new people. One of those groups is Single Volunteers, an organization of single, divorced, and widowed people who, through volunteerism, meet and make friends and develop relationships, both romantic and otherwise. The group started at the beginning of 1997 and has grown at an incredible rate. This non-profit group has no membership fees but does have two requirements to join: You must be single and be willing to volunteer. The concept behind this group is relatively simple. Project leaders work with interested non-profit organizations to find projects with which Single Volunteers can help. These projects can be anything from answering phones during a telethon to building houses to staffing blood drives or stuffing envelopes. The Single Volunteers staff and project leaders work to compile a team of volunteers (equal in the number of men and women, and all relatively within the same age group, give or take 10 years) who get together to get the project done. Their national headquarters is located at http://singlevolunteers.org. Chapters are now hosted in Canada and Australia as well as the US. Check out their website for chapters in your area.

If you still haven’t found an organization which suits your needs, there are a host of other resources available to you. Here are some ideas to help you get started.

Save the Environment. Be a tree person. Tree People, a citizen forestry organization, started in Los Angeles with the goal of planting a million trees. Now local groups are forming across the country. Contact the American Forests Association, 1516 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20005; (202) 667-3300.

Plant a garden. A New York City organization called Green Guerilla plants community gardens in vacant lots; if you live in a city there’s bound to be a similar group. Try your local parks department, or contact the American Community Gardening Association, 325 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; (215) 625-8280.

Befriend the Animals.Help out homeless dogs and cats. Your local animal shelter desperately needs animal lovers to care for strays that are awaiting adoption. Look up your local humane society, or contact the Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037; (202) 452-1100.

Adopt a whale. When you do so, your money will go toward preservation of the species. In return you will receive a photo of "your" whale. Annual fee is fifteen dollars. Contact International Wildlife Coalition Whale Adoption Project, Dept. 92COS, 634 North Falmouth Highway, North Falmouth, MA 02556; (508) 564-9980.

Rehabilitate injured wildlife. This can involve anything from cleaning oil-soaked birds after a spill to spotting injured wild animals and helping to rescue them. Call your local animal shelter or nature center, or contact the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, c/o Carpenter Nature Center, 12805 St. Croix Trail, Hastings, MN 55033; (612) 437-9194.

Keep track of birds and prey. Every fall, in seven western states, an organization called Hawkwatch uses volunteers to help capture, measure, and band these birds. Purpose: to learn more about their migration patterns. For more information, call (505) 255-7622, or write Hawkwatch, PO Box 35706, Albuquerque, NM 87176.

Children in Need. Be a Big Sister or Big Brother. Big Sisters/Big Brothers is based on the unique concept of a one-to-one relationship between an adult volunteer and a needy child of the same sex. Volunteers spend a few hours a week with their "little sisters or little brothers" talking, reading, going to the zoo or the park. Look up your local chapter or contact Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America, 230 N. 13^th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107; (215) 567-7000.

Help people in need. Join the Red Cross. This organization emphasizes career development for volunteers. Their board of directors is network heaven, both influential and powerful. The Red Cross provides not only disaster relief, but also swimming lessons for children, classes in first aid and CPR, care of the elderly and youth leadership programs. Contact the director of personnel at your local chapter.

Build housing for the poor. In cities across the country, people are working for Habitat for Humanity, an organization that restores neglected housing and constructs new housing for the poor. Bonus: Habitat attracts mostly male volunteers. Call 800-HABITAT for more information.

Teach an adult illiterate how to read. Tutoring doesn’t require a special degree, all you need are adequate reading and writing skills. You complete a brief training course offered by your local literacy education center, then allocate about one evening per week to teaching. Either call your local library to see if it has a literacy program, or contact the Coalition for Literacy at (800) 228-8813.

More ideas

Work on a political campaign. Even if your candidate loses, you’ll have a good time and meet lots of people. And is he or she wins, the politician may offer you a job. Contact your local Democratic or Republican Party, or your favorite candidate directly (Manfred 178).

Be a patron of the arts. Every ballet company, symphony, theater and museum is hurting for money and can use your help ushering, stage managing, fund-raising, ticket-taking and publicity. If you’re interested in a career in the arts, this is one way to get started. Call your favorite cultural cause and ask for the volunteer coordinator.

Join the Junior League. A variety of volunteer programs are available, from rape counseling to visiting boarder babies in hospitals. You’ll meet lots of potential friends, make invaluable contacts and get to try out different volunteer opportunities. Look up your local chapter for more information. If nothing appeals to you as of yet, consider buying, "What Can I Do to Make a Difference?" By Richard Zimmerman. This book lists hundreds more ideas for volunteering, along with the names and addresses of corresponding nonprofit organizations.

Another way to volunteer is volunteer vacations. According to author Bill McMillon, author of "Volunteer Vacations: A Directory of Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others", more Americans than ever are discovering the pleasure of combining travel with volunteerism. Although there are no hard numbers detailing participation rates, the number of organizations offering these trips has more than doubled in the past couple of years and few have been canceled because of lack of interest. Excavating medieval ruins in France, budding churches in East Africa, planting trees with the US Forest Service and teaching swimming in Nepal are just a few examples. Projects usually last from one to six weeks and range in price from nothing to transportation to $2,000 plus travel expenses.

Laura Farnsworth, a marketing representative from Irvine, Texas has tried volunteer vacations and would never trade the experience. Her first trip took her to Australia’s outback where she caught and tagged kangaroos for two weeks. "These were by far my best vacations," Farnsworth says.

There are three main types of volunteer vacations; social-action, environment and research. Though there are exceptions, social-action programs are by far the least expensive volunteer vacations. Most require an application fee, but room and board are provided by the host project. But you should be prepared to put in rigorous 40-hour weeks. "You could spend the summer in Europe on almost nothing by going from project to project," McMillon says.

Those who prefer to mix volunteerism with leisure can opt for a sports oriented program sponsored by an organization like the American Lung Association. This well-known group offers pledge-funded trips for cyclists, cross-country skiers and even dogsledders. Environment oriented vacations are also available, where you may go hiking or backpacking into wilderness areas where they bound and clear trails, revegetate land or do other maintenance work. These trips usually run for a week, with most days equally divided between work and free time. Research projects are also a possibility. Gathering data on endangered species and habitats clearly aids the Save-the Whales effort. Whether volunteers map the behavior of humpback whales or take part in art, historical, archaeological or social-science research, they are first and foremost helping to educate. If you would like to receive more information on a volunteer vacation contact nonprofit organizations directly, most offer volunteer opportunities and are happy to give whatever information you need (Livermore 46-47).

Lastly, if you’d like to volunteer but don’t have the time to travel, virtual volunteering may be for you. The nonprofit organization, Impact Online (www.impactonline.org), launched a new program called virtual volunteering. It seeks to encourage development of volunteer activities that can be completed off-site via the internet. Virtual volunteering allows anyone to contribute their time and expertise to nonprofit organizations, schools and other agencies which utilize volunteer services, without ever leaving the comfort of your home. Impact online defines two distinct forms of virtual volunteering: technical assistance and direct contact. Technical assistance includes conducting online research: finding information to use in an organization’s upcoming grant proposal or newsletter, gathering information on a particular governmental program or legislation that affects an agency’s clients. Also answering a nonprofit’s questions regarding human resource or management issues, designing a nonprofit’s newsletter or brochure or copyediting a publication or proposal, translating a document into or from another language or preparing information from a World Wide Web site. Direct contact is the other form of volunteering. Your duties could include electronically visiting with someone who is homebound, whether in a hospital or rest home via a chat room or e-mail, providing online mentoring and instruction to clients (help students with homework questions, help prison inmates with studies) help with language instruction or provide support to children (electronically visiting children in the hospital, support group members providing advice to each other, etc).

Virtual volunteering is still a new and uncharted area for many organizations who may find it unsettling to have a volunteer working for them they have never met before. As a result of the newness of this idea, when you contact an organization, be ready to sell yourself and your idea to the prospective company. Tell them why you want to volunteer, what you hope to gain by volunteering or what sort of services you would like to provide. Contact your nearest volunteer center by phone or e-mail and ask for a list of volunteer opportunities. A list of volunteer centers across the Unites States can be accessed at http://www.volunteermatch.org/ . Contact organizations in your area that you personally believe in and ask them how you can help. Impact Online itself is also looking for volunteers to help conduct online research and promotions, develop web pages and write articles for their website. Contact them for more information and fill out a volunteer application via their website.

Volunteering is both beneficial to whom you are helping and to yourself. You can help a homeless person feel like they matter to the world, you can give love and attention to a homeless dog or cat, help wild animals survive after oils pills and so much more. Individuals do matter and you can make a difference if you find something you believe and put your heart in it. Volunteers don’t need to devote hours a week to an organization to make a difference. Two hours a week can make a difference in your life and the lives of others. Also you can meet other people and feel good about yourself. When researchers inquire into the real reason why people volunteer the overwhelming response is a desire to do something useful. To comfort a child or patient, rescue a school or salvage a neighborhood, gives volunteers a sense of success that few jobs can match. The chance to make a difference in the lives of others is irresistible and honorable. Take control of your life and your world, volunteer.

Citation Note:

Beth Livermore’s article, "Lend-a-hand travel: the best vacations now combine a good time with a good cause", was published by Health, v22, n4, p 46, April 1990.

Erica Manfred’s article, "Volunteerism: what you can gain by giving" was published in Cosmopolitan, v213, n5, p 178, Nov 1992. Janice Simpson’s article, "For goodness’ sakes; what Americans do when they see a crying need" was published in Time, v133, n2, p 20, Jan 9, 1989. Susan Ellis’ advice article can be accessed through Impact Online’s website at www.impactonline.org.