Volunteering
 

A few people in Cardo's thread mentioned volunteering. I've done a fair amount of volunteering in the past and really love it. I've done it for three reasons:

1) To help people who need help
2) It makes me feel good
3) Meet cool girls (and some cool guys too, actually)

A lot of people have told me that their most fulfilling volunteering experiences have been with people who are really sick or really old. I personally get too sad doing this, so I've avoided it. Selfish, I know, but I'm doing this largely for me. People also talk about the value of making long-term bonds, especially when volunteering with kids. Various opportunities let you work with a young kid for extended periods of time. This is something I'll probably do in the future, but again for personal reasons, I've right now tried to avoid volunteering opportunities where I develop a close long-term relationship where I really have little control about the environment that kid has to live in. Basically, a lot of these things for me tend to be incredibly stressful and emotionally draining, not something I've been looking for out of volunteering. I'm not that much of an animal person, but for those that are, those also have the bonus of having lots of cute girls.

I want this thread to be about specific volunteering experiences and opportunities, but also wanted to get that stuff out as well because I think it's an important part of picking the right types of things for your personality.

Here are some things that I've done that I really enjoy.

Food bank - just sorting and packing boxes. This is manual labor, time goes fast, it's often with a bunch of other fun people. And you're helping people not go hungry. Easy.

Serving meals - tons of organizations exist that serve free meals. Always lots of opportunity to do this on Thanksgiving/Christmas/etc. I've mainly done things like weekend brunches and stuff. Everyone who comes through the line is sincerely thankful and happy to be served. Great feeling.

Habitat for Humanity - this is another great one that many people are familiar with. I bet someone here is more involved with habitat than I have been (just a couple of weekends), so I'll let them elaborate on the experience.

Kids - I like things where you play with kids. Two I've done in San Francisco are basically play days with kids who live in a family shelter or abused kids center. I'll list some of the specific ones below.

Planting trees - I've done this before, but don't get so much out of it or other environment-focused things. Fun day, though, and this is often full of cute girls.

Painting/fixing schools etc - I sorta like painting, but again, I don't get so much out of this one.

So how do you get started?

I got started volunteering in Atlanta w/ an organization called Hands On Atlanta. They basically serve as the middleman between lots of organizations that need volunteers and individuals/corporations who want to volunteer. They have orientations to get you started and then a calendar full of different types of opportunities. Some of these things you commit to doing regularly for some time period (like tutor a kid once a week for four months) while others you can just look to see what project you can go to on a specific day. The same organization exists in the Bay Area, http://www.handsonbayarea.org/. I'm a big fan of theirs and also encourage donating to them directly. They have tons of similar organizations nationwide as part of their network: http://www.handsonnetwork.org/our-network/

OneBrick is another similar organization. http://www.onebrick.org/index.asp I'm not as familiar with them, but have heard some good things. They are in SF Bay Area, NY, Chicago, and DC.

For SF folks, some organizations I've volunteered with and enjoyed (I think most of these currently have active projects on the Hands-On calendar):

Glide Church - various helping the hungry opps

Hamilton Family Center - various tutoring and play day opps w/ kids, this is a shelter for homeless families where the family is kept together and they help w/ job training, job search, etc.

Salvation Army Harbor House - I haven't volunteered with them, but will be doing so shortly. Single parent shelter.

Edgewood Center - this is the most stressful volunteering I've ever done, also some of the most rewarding. This center used to be an orphanage that evolved into a center for kids who have to be taken out of their homes due to severe physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and neglect. Many really troubled kids here. Very tough stuff, but very rewarding as well. This is not something I could do often, but the few times I did was great.

Alright, that was a lot longer than I intended, but hopefully it gives you some ideas and will prompt others to share their experiences and opinions as well.

Re: Volunteering
 

Good thread idea. It came at a perfect time too because I am involved in a "leadership" program in the town I live in and one of the requirements to graduate from this program is to put in some time volunteering. I find it a little odd that this is a requirement because many facilitators of the program stated that you have to really be interested in the organization you are volunteering for or you are just wasting your time and the organization's. But, I do agree that it is a good way to get people to volunteer that normally wouldn't, like me, so I'm really trying to figure out what organization would be a good fit for me. I'll be watching this thread closely and hopefully others will chime in with their experiences.

Re: Volunteering
 

All,

Some links:

http://www.handsonnetwork.org/our-network/ - Hands-On
http://www.onebrick.org/index.asp - One Brick
http://www.handsonbayarea.org/ - Hands On Bay Area
http://www.edgewoodcenter.org/ - Edgewood Center
http://www.glide.org/ - Glide
http://www.hamiltonfamilycenter.org/ - Hamilton Family Center
http://www.sffoodbank.org/ - SF Food Bank

Links to a number of the organizations I mentioned in my lengthy OP.

Re: Volunteering
 

I do two volunteering activities - both in Boston.

I work with kids, middle school through high school, at a program called Mission Safe in the Mission Hill area. It's a program where High School aged kids are paid a stipend to run an afterschool program for middle school kids. I come in and tutor kids, mostly in math, but a little bit in all subjects. I've been working with them for over 5 years now, and it's an awesome program.

At first it was a little tough, b/c none of the kids felt comfortable asking me questions for for help. At this point, all of the older kids who run the program trust me, so I immediately get respect from the younger kids. It's a ton easier for me now.

Also, I helped coach a little league team a couple of years ago, and am going to coach my own team this coming summer. I found out that it's hard to get into this if you don't have kids of your own, b/c the managers are skeptical of people who just want to help out. I'm sure it's out of fear of sexual-type predators. I got a lot of help in getting a coaching gig, b/c I work with Mission Safe. The guy who runs the little league group, knows who I am through Mission Safe and therefore, I have a reputation as a good person.

matt

Re: Volunteering
 

diablo - i bought some homeless dude a calzone last night - i don't have a link though.

Re: Volunteering
 

Thinly veiled brag?

Seriously, the only real volunteering I've done was for Habitat. I did about a dozen Saturdays with them over a few years while I was at college. There was a student group running the program and I was on their listserve. I'd show up at a place on campus and we'd drive down. I never did the framing work that you see on TV, it was mostly drywall and painting work.

I also helped raise a little money for them. The group sold raffle tickets at NHL games. We had to give most of the money to the team charity arm, but it was still fun because we got to see 2/3rds of the game.

I liked this organization because the work was interesting. Most charity work is rewarding, but not independently interesting IMHO. It was also easy to work with the campus group and there were a bunch of good people involved with that as well.

Re: Volunteering
 

Thanks Diablo. This thread reminded me that I signed up with the local VA to help drive veterans to the hospital. They gave me a phone # to call and follow up and I never did. I will use this thread as a motivation to follow through with this and report. Please someone bug me about it if I don't.

Re: Volunteering
 

iron,

Unfortunately, I can't really brag. I've done a lot of volunteering in the past, but have done almost none the last few years. I've instead given money, which is cool and often more useful to them, but less personally satisfying. I've been meaning to get back into it for a year or so, and I'm doing this partially to help give myself a little kick in the ass to get moving. I think there are a lot of people like me who are into the idea of volunteering, but just don't get around to doing it. I think bringing it more to the front of people's minds and providing some places like Hands-On that make it easier to get started will be helpful to many, I hope.

Re: Volunteering
 

I have done some volunteering with Big Brothers and Sisters, just their in school mentoring. I have also worked in an old folk's home, visiting with older people and those who need assistance (people paralyzed via car wrecks or multiple sclerosis etc), reading and talking with them.

I got involved with both to hopefully increase my patience level and give me some sort of perspective on when I was having a [censored] day. In retrospect, I'm not sure I really accomplished what I had hoped for. I probably donated an hour or so of my time to each activity each week. I didn't really feel, well, useful. I didn't expect a party each month for what I was accomplishing, but the tasks felt empty and I wasn't sure I was really being helpful. Lack of feedback, I guess. I also felt slightly patronizing.

Lately I've been considering reading for the blind, but there was quite a selection process for it and I was (sadly) really put off of it. I've also thought about driving cancer patients to and from their chemotherapy appointments, but I'm not really sure I have the right personality for it. I'd like to help the world in some manner, but in a way that would be most beneficial to the people I'm helping, and myself. Call it selfish, but I just want to gain something else from what I do than declaring "oh, yes, I volunteer" at the next party I'm at like it's some sort of miraculous event.

Re: Volunteering
 

ED,

How do you work with homeless kids and not just end up writing them a huge fat check? Serious question. It's why I haven't done this type of thing yet.

For example, we sponsor a child through the CCF and i'm always telling my wife to send them more $$ hidden in crayons or something.

Tuco.

Re: Volunteering
 

Diablo,

I'm in the same boat. I used to be pretty involved back in college, but for the past three years have barely done anything.

Habitat is on obvious one. Very enjoyable. I did it as part of a spring break trip and had an awesome time. We had the benefit of starting at the very beginning... installing floor boards, and then putting up the whole frame. Very gratifying.

Oh yeah.. and we did it in Jackson, MS. Not really your typical spring break destination.. but it was very eye opening for me. I had never spent any real time in the deep south. Quite the experience. For all you college kids out there, a lot of schools have some sort of spring break volunteering program. Whether it's just a trip or two on some Habitat outing, or working with a bunch of different projects.

Though I did a variety of projects, the Alternative Spring Break program was my main focus. I worked as a coordinator one year (jointly in charge of a specific trip), and the following year was a Program Manager, responsible for organizing all 11 trips. The program was VERY popular at my school. We had to turn students away every year. Projects varied from Habitat, to nature preserves (with camping!), to building wheelchair ramps in Nashville, food shelters in ATL, and some other stuff I'm forgetting.

These trips were a great way of incorporating El D's 3 reasons for volunteering: you're helping out, you meet cool peopole, and have a blast. Trip destinations weren't just selected based on the work, bute also based on how enjoyable they might be (since you'll be there a week). I mean, sometimes nature restoration projects aren't all THAT helpful, and even sometimes of dubious need at best. But you all end up having a blast, and some of the students are going to return home with a newfound love for volunteering, so that's cool.

This sort of program is pretty easy to get started as well. Our entire budget for all 11 trips (vans, gas, tents, food, supplies, etc) were paid for by $200 per volunteer, and a few generous supplies donations. And we had room to spare. PM me if you want any other details.

Re: Volunteering
 

I'm a selfish prick. I havn't volunteered since college. For 3 years I participated in a program where you would take disabled people skiing. I worked for two years with stroke victims and one year with a retarded dude. Basically we would make various ski based contraptions and then let the person go down hill while you checked their speed with a tether. My worst experience was when the handlers forgot to make the retarded dude take a dump before skiing. Yes. I had to take him to the toilet and wipe his ass. He was that handicapped. The best part was sharing my favorite experience (skiing) while enabling another person to feel that same joy. Without fail, all the handicapped people in this program were so grateful and stoked to go skiing. Most of these people lead a fairly constrained existence so this ski program truly enhanced their quality of life. The second best part was I got to bang a few of my fellow volunteers. Hawt!

A friend of mine is trying to convince me to volunteer with an organization called Building With Books. I'm gonna pass on this particular organization but I'm still looking for something good to do.

Re: Volunteering
 

I haven't done any volunteering in the traditional style. But as alluded by Boris with the skiing you can involve disadvantaged people in an activity that you do. You're still giving your time I suppose.

The last two rafting seasons I've helped organise trips for handicapped people. We do seperate trips for the mentally handicapped, the blind and the deaf. We go and pick them up and then we take them through the whole experience. Obviously we can't take them down the harder stretches of the river but they get so much out of the parts that we can do.

One year I also took some paraplegics rafting. That was a bit more full on but they loved it. We don't charge for this so I suppose it is volunteering.

Re: Volunteering
 

Boris/ads: A friend of mine is active in Outdoors for All (formerly Ski for All) in Washington. Folks up there might want to check it out. And ads, what you do is TOTALLY volunteering in the spirit of this thread, very good stuff.

Tuco: That sort of feeling is the reason I've avoided doing the stuff where I regularly see the same kid, like ongoing tutoring programs or Big Brothers. Also the same reason I tend not to volunteer with people who have very little hope. Leaving them and knowing you can't do much at all to help their situation sucks. Most of the places I have volunteered (Hamilton, Edgewood, etc.) focus on people on the way up, providing them with a stepping stone to the next level of a more productive life. I enjoy being part of that. As far as money goes, I figure the best way for me to get the most utility out of my donation is to give it to some of these organizations and let them decide how to allocate it best.

octopi: I totally relate. I definitely like more immediate feedback and like feeling appreciated. That's why play days with kids are great. You are giving kids a break and they love it. At places like family shelters, this is a rare time when the parents get some time alone without the kids. So they really appreciate it too. And it's fun.

Re: Volunteering
 

I went to a catholic high school we were required to do a ton of "volunteering". I did mine at my mom's preschool, setting up computers, and teaching the kids, it was fun, more importantly I started to do more later on, I volunteered at a now defunct chilren's home, basically doing nothing more than holding, babies, most of them were abused/had a drug dependent mom, so they were going through withdrawals, and would do nothing but cry, when they got old enough it was sad, because, basically they got so attatched that once you left they would start crying again. I also did habitat for humanity with my mom, but I didntn do anything other than fetch tools and sweep, as im just horrible at that stuff. Eventually, when my little brother gets a little older, and I dont have anyone to teach all these cool life tricks to, Im going to do big brother/big sister, I have a friend that does it now, and he cant say enough good things about it. I also have done some random holidy voluteering when I was in HS/college, soup kitchens, delivering christmas presents, etc.

Re: Volunteering
 

I've done various, but the only one I did regularly was the Food Bank and a little GED. Volunteering for the Food Bank takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. The Food Bank needs volunteers all year round, there are less volunteers when it's NOT Thanksgiving so each individual will be much more productive. Mia from "Top Chef" commented that her parents relied on the food bank when she was young.

Some Food Bank tips for beginners:

(1) When in doubt, throw it out. Don't poison people.
(2) The "Rice Test". Picture pushing the can vertically in to a bowl of rice and picking it back up. If the can would retain rice, that is, if the rice gets pinched in, then the can is bad.
(3) Most foods are good until 6 months after expiration.
(4) Find a niche that no one else is doing, it makes everybody more efficient!
(5) Don't stand there for a minute trying to ponder the right category. Just guess and sort more food!

The last is my personal opinion and I get a conspicuous silence when I mention it to other Food Bankers.

Re: Volunteering
 

I have been the volunteer dermatologist in pediatrics for Wake County for a few years. I see all the health dept. kids requiring derm services at clinics at the County hospital. I also provide free services in my office to some other kids when the need arises and to some adults -- mainly chemo pts with rashes and a few skin cancer excisions. I do the odd lecture, church group meeting, support group meeting, public skin cancer screening, and so forth.

Re: Volunteering
 

Great thread El D. I am going to look into some food banks in Portland, OR and hopefully spend some time at them next week. Its really a great fit for poker players who have free time and dont need the money associated with a job, it fulfills a lot of the social needs that poker can't.
~J

Re: Volunteering
 

[ QUOTE ]
Great thread El D. I am going to look into some food banks in Portland, OR and hopefully spend some time at them next week. Its really a great fit for poker players who have free time and dont need the money associated with a job, it fulfills a lot of the social needs that poker can't.
~J

[/ QUOTE ]
This is the site for the Oregon Food Bank

I also did some work in Worcester, MA during college and can get people contact information for that if they need it. Here is their web site though.

~J

Re: Volunteering
 

Over the past few years I have volunteered peers, youths, hospitals, and foodbanks, and other events on occassion. Looking back I either slacked off completely or I made a really big effort and found it to be exhausting. I think you get so much more out of it if you make yourself useful on your own terms.

The habitat for humanity sounds really good. For me, I think having fun/working with people is the most important, and this usually involves a lot of interaction with other volunteers, and to a lesser extent people who we may be trying to help.

Re: Volunteering
 

i volunteer at one of the largest stables in my area. mostly i exercise and groom the horses of spoilt rich girls too lazy to visit their animals on a regular basis, but i also help out teaching underpriveleged children how to ride. i used to lead those classes, but my availability and the class schedules don't line up currently.

i also volunteer with an organization that help newly relocated mexican immigrants acclimate. mostly i answer phones and answer questions they have.

Re: Volunteering
 

i coached a hoops team of 5th and 6th graders. it was awesome even though there were stupid rules about balancing playing time. i'm looking for another team right now.

currently i walk dogs for a local animal shelter and love it.

also, in case anyone missed it, i bought a homeless guy a calzone last night. i also offered to get him a drink, but he didn't want one.

Re: Volunteering
 

coaching youth sports is amazing. my friend and i coached a 7th/8th grade girls basketball team with his little sister on it. she is like ultra 3 point master in HS now.

Re: Volunteering
 

man.. I want to coach basketball so bad.

lapoker,

those rules are pretty cool for the 5th graders who suck at basketball. Step up the age rankings if you have a problem with this.

talent,

Your post reminds me.. one trip that all my volunteers raved about two years in a row was a hippotherapy treatment center in Arkansas. I think they've got them all over the place. Here's a description of what hippotherapy is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippotherapy

They work with kids with problems ranging from autism to down syndrome to cerebral palsy. A lot of these places can use some help with maintaining the stable, walking with the kid on horseback.. I never did it but it sounds pretty cool. Plus, let's face it, retarded kids on horses is high comedy.

Re: Volunteering
 

[ QUOTE ]

lapoker,

those rules are pretty cool for the 5th graders who suck at basketball. Step up the age rankings if you have a problem with this.


[/ QUOTE ]

oh, i should've clarified that this was BOYS basketball, not GIRLS basketball.

Re: Volunteering
 

some girl handing out fliers on campus asked me if I wanted to volunteer and got ready to give me one. i said "NO WAY!"

I would be willing to volunteer as a big brother, coach, or assistant coach though.

Re: Volunteering
 

i always thought it was phony to do volunteer work (as a poker player at least) because i could just play poker and then donate the money and do a lot more good. however i had a conversation with a cab driver in guatemala, it was hard to understand him because despite saying "despacio por favor" many times he was incensed. there was an earthquake a few years ago that ruined a lot of mayans sh.it and there was a lot of international aid given to the country but according to him none of it reached people in need, corrupt government took it all. he said that what they needed and wanted was not money but people to come and volunteer.

i tried to do big brothers program they wouldn't let me. i did work for Peace Action or FreezeAction or something like that in Santa Barbara for 2 weeks. it was paid, i told them not to pay me but he said i was on the payroll already anyway then i lost the check. anyway, went door to door raising money was extremely tiring. also the umass antiwar coalition, it's different type of volunteer work but related. the people i met in those activities were smart and interesting people i liked them a lot.

Re: Volunteering
 

I tried tutoring kids a couple of times in college, once or twice a week, can't say I really liked it- even though I was with the same kid for months, never really felt any connection or progress. I wouldn't try that again, personally.

Re: Volunteering
 

I currently volunteer at a high school. I started doing it because I needed volunteer hours for teachers college, but I have since found myself going above and beyond because I love it.

My 'official' duty is to help out in class. That is a ton of fun, but I do that so I can log enough hours to get into teachers college.

I have started an essay help program at the school. Twice a week I am available to proof read essays, help brainstorm ideas, and run workshops. There is no gain for me there, aside from the good feeling I get from helping the kids.

Re: Volunteering
 

I haven't done much volunteering but it's something I seem to always be thinking about.
Either coaching little-league soccer or chess for kids or something. Or even tutoring math or reading.
I seem to have a perpetual mind-set of "I'll definitely get to that at some point" but I just never do.


Just returned from trip to Peru.
My GF and I stayed a few days with her aunt who is a nun at a monestary that runs a gentlemen's nursing-home for those who have nowhere else to go.

10 sisters, most in their 70's, taking care of 270 elderly men. They have some assistants and some volunteers but mostly it's just the sisters.
That's a lot of bathing them, cooking, washing and folding sheets/towels, etc.

Her aunt is 76 and has been doing this kind of work for 50+ years in various countries. Over 10 yrs at this location I think.
I was pretty awe-struck. GF was too and has thoughts of perhaps going back for a month or longer to volunteer.


I have no idea if it's coincidence or not. But her aunt seemed one of the more genuinely content people one could ever hope to meet. Genuinely excited and inspired and proud by the work she was doing.
She also seemed to be in awesome shape for someone her age.
On more than one occasion she would realize she was late for something and would take off in a pretty fast sprint down the hall-way (in the full nun-outfit of course).

I wouldn't be the first to observe that such work truly is good for the soul and the body. And it certainly seemed so in her aunt's case.

Re: Volunteering
 

Boris,
one thing i do (not enough lately) that you might be interested in is help out at kids fishing derbies. basically, you're there to tie rigs, put on bait, remove fish, and make sure no one falls in. most of the kids who show up at these things have never fished before and the look on a kid's fish as s/he first feels one on the end of the line is priceless.

also, many of the ffing clubs in the valley have clean up days when they all go up and pick up trash along some stream or another. I think Davis ffers does putah creek every year.

Re: Volunteering
 

i've been volunteering for a long time now and it has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life. i currently mentor a 13 year old kid who was removed from his home about 5 years ago and has been bouncing around group homes since. his dad died soon after being released from jail two years ago and both of his sisters have been in other group homes around the city.

I got matched up with him because his first group home had a volunteer program that best fit my requirements - a flexible schedule and minimal training time. The staff was so happy to have a male volunteer (they said they get 90% women) and I was quickly matched up with this boy and my girlfriend at the time was matched up with his older sister.

I assume that the pride I have felt watching him grow up is similar to a parent’s although I don’t have delusions that everything in his life is going to be perfect because of my mentoring. I also recognize how much volunteering has done for my life, which I think many people fail to consider before volunteering. Many people think volunteering just helps others, but it does just as much for the person doing the volunteering. It has helped me see things from different perspectives, feel lucky and thankful for the hand I was dealt in life, and made me feel like an overall better person.

Each week I stress a little about trying to find the time to see him, but when the visit is over i always know that it was worth it. For those that still aren’t convinced how great volunteering can be here are two other things to consider for the young male poker players out there:

9:1 ratio at all training and social activities
tax deductions

Re: Volunteering
 

I've started volunteering a ton more now that I am a lawyer. It is really nice to give back to the community.

Volunteer attorney program: this is a cool program where we do over the phone legal counseling. Most of the issues deal with housing as this is something that can be readily handled over the phone. It is really nice to help people - especially these people who really need it as often their shelter is at stake.

Mock Trial: I had a blast coaching a high school mock trial team this year. The kids work really hard and are willing to learn from you. I helped completely turn the program around from a 1-5 team last year to 4-2 and top 5 in the County. Hope to build from there and make it to the County finals next year.

Habitat: Did this in college and just recently did it a couple weekends ago. Great group.

Church groups are often a great group to work with as they tend to have some of the lowest overhead around so the money and energy actually goes directly to those in need. Church groups are definitely the best when donating money - some have under 5% overhead - Food for the Poor is a great example of such groups.

Middle School Football Coach: This was probably by far my favorite experience. I love sports and love to teach our youth. I hope to continue coaching football and look to spread to wrestling and baseball soon.

Re: Volunteering
 

At the age of 15 I started an organization of kids who would dress up as clowns and visit local childrens hospitals.

I had a friend who played the guitar and when he came along to the hospital the kids absolutely went nuts. Just seeing the pure joy on the childrens faces when they saw clowns in their play room or their hospital room really was an amazing feeling.

Since I founded the organization at 16 me and my friends were severly untrained but there were always in the room with us in case anything happened... Like the time that Anthony Blackmon got bit by a kid with a severe muscular disease.

We are unsure if the child bit Anthony because he was overexcited or if he just didn't like the fingerpuppet on Anthony's hand but it was a scary couple weeks for all of us waiting to make sure that Anthony did not pick up any diseases from the child.

Despite that one hiccup it was an extremely rewarding experience and is something that I plan on doing again after I graduate

Re: Volunteering
 

El Diablo, great thread!

If anyone is interested this site, VolunteerMatch, may be helpful for finding places in areas near you. I am not too familiar with the site but it has search option by zip code that could help find any opportunities near you. Also it lists many different/unique organizations that may not be as well known.

If anyone experience with any volunteer organizations in the Washington DC area please PM me, thanks.

Re: Volunteering
 

Wes,

Note that onebrick in my OP has a DC group. I bet HandsOn probably does too. I'd encourage you to check out those two groups.

Re: Volunteering
 

[ QUOTE ]
If anyone is interested this site, VolunteerMatch, may be helpful for finding places in areas near you. I am not too familiar with the site but it has search option by zip code that could help find any opportunities near you. Also it lists many different/unique organizations that may not be as well known.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've used volunteermatch.com and it's great. I only had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, and seeing so many different opportunities in one place was really helpful.

Re: Volunteering
 

Annie's Hope

This is a St. Louis based organization for grieving kids. It is an absolutely amazing organization. I volunteer at their summer camp every summer called Camp Courage. It is a week long overnight camp where we do things like rafting, horseback riding, fishing, swimming, play tons of games, have a talent show, etc. The first week I went I can honestly say was the best week of my entire life. It is the best week of my year every year and Im incredibly sad that I have to miss this year because I will be in Spain. You're whole outlook on life changes when you get to know these incredible kids, Truly it can be a life changing experience. For more info PM me or visit www.annieshope.org (Not sure how done the site is, they're in the process of redoing it)

Re: Volunteering
 

I have a ton I could write on this due to working within various non profits ever since I've left college. My favorite experience though was Relay for Life. Had an awesome time with friends, met amazing people, etc.

Pretty much you form teams and at least on member has to run a track through the night. You continuous switch off while the others are partying, drinking, hitting on girls, doing team building games, etc. relay for life

Re: Volunteering
 

[ QUOTE ]
Selfish, I know, but I'm doing this largely for me

[/ QUOTE ]

Diablo,

This is probably beyond the scope of this thread, but the above statement has me curious. Does the satisfaction of volunteering come from donating your time to help people, or the act of helping them itself?

For example, if Habitat for Humanity (NOT the person for whom you were building the house) paid you to work on a project, would you be as satisfied with the experienced? More satisfied? Less?

I'm in no way knocking you for feeling this way: self importance or a similar motive is a major driver behind volunteering, and kudos to you for admitting it instead of pretending like civic duty is the sole reason behind your volunteering. I'm just curious because I know that I got the same level of satisfaction tutoring rich kids in math (for which I was paid very well by the kids' parents) as I did tutoring poor kids in math (for which I was paid minimum wage by the school), and that was no more or less satisfying than working at a community youth garden or working with the mentally handicapped (for which I wasn't paid at all). That is, the satisfaction I got came from helping someone who needed it and who couldn't otherwise help themselves.

-McGee