The Joy of Giving: 5 ways you can volunteer today!

Congratulations! Now that you have decided to volunteer; to make a difference to others and to yourself; let’s get you started. You don’t have to give all your holidays or weekends to prove your intent. Volunteering comes in small acts of giving. And something that may seem little to you, could, and would, have a huge impact on the person whose life you will touch.

Here are some suggestions to get you started, but we are sure you will soon explore many more!

1. Start at Home:

   Many of us have domestic helps and other help around the house like drivers, guards, gardener etc. They mostly cannot afford tuition for their kids; you can teach the children or sponsor their tuition/ books. You will soon realize that it is great fun to get back to 5^th standard Mathematics or English or Science!

2. De-clutter & Donate:

   Your excess can be someone else’s fortune. Have you got old clothes stashed behind your wardrobe that you haven’t worn for the past 6 months? Chances are you aren’t going to wear them. Recently bought dinnerware or pots and pans for your kitchen? How about letting the older ones go? Donate your old clothes, sheets, kitchen items, furniture etc to a local NGO or a charity shop or better take them with you on the road and distribute yourself to the families living on the streets. Do contact us if you need help with where to donate your old stuff.

3. Volunteer at a local NGO:

   Depending on your interest and time availability find a local NGO and volunteer your time there. This could range from playing games with children in orphanages; spending time with the residents of an old age home; doing art and craft activities with children; organizing awareness drives etc. You can also impart your specific skills for ex. If you are doctor, you can hold camps; if you are a lawyer, you can help NGO with their legal issues. If confused about which NGO to volunteer with, you can also connect with a volunteer management NGOs who would in turn connect you with other NGOs.

4. Volunteer from home/ office:

   There are a lot of volunteering opportunities that you can do from the comfort of your home or office as and when you get time. NGOs may need help with managing their social media, or with proof reading, or designing some new material etc. It’s exciting to be sitting in India and volunteering for an NGO in Sudan! You can explore some online volunteering opportunities at:

   1. http://onlinevolunteering.org: United Nation Volunteers online volunteering portal.
   2. http://www.sparked.com/about/micro: A social enterprise for online micro-volunteering

5. Volunteer with your local community:

   Spread the word, share your experiences and help others in your locality get started with volunteering. You can begin with organizing a clothes collection drive or a books collection drive within your apartment complex, school/ college or office compound. Involve new people in the initial publicity work and then later in distribution. You will not only have the satisfaction of helping the needy but also of introducing many more to volunteering!

Volunteering is not difficult. All it needs is the intent and a little bit of effort. We are sure once start, you will not know a life without it! Let us know if you need help with any of the activities!