Volunteering

[lapoker17]

[ 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.

[JaBlue]

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.

[Osprey]

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.

[Golden_Rhino]

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.

[MicroBob]

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.

[pokulator]

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

[SackUp]

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.

[Cornell Fiji]

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

[Wes Mantooth]

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.

[El Diablo]

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.