Don’t know where to start?
How do you channel your gifts and find an organization doing good, that’s a good fit for you?
Start with heart! Make a list (always a favorite and easy place to begin). Put these on paper:
- What do you enjoy doing? Are you a behind the scenes aficionado, or is one on one your jam? Which organizations are close to your heart?
- Is there an activity you prefer? ex: working outside, with animals, inside with people, no dirt please!. Be honest with yourself. If you dread it, you won’t do it.
- What are you skilled at? Accounting, counseling, building, write it all down, you may be surprised with all the gifts you’ve been overlooking.
- How often do you want to volunteer? Be honest, you’re not helping anyone if out of some sense of guilt you shout out “every weekend” but your whole self meant” once a month”.
- Search using these parameters, reach out and communicate your interests, skills and availability clearly with the person in charge of volunteers (typically listed on the site as such)
Here’s a link I use to the NC Center for Nonprofits, they have a member directory so you can search by county and category such as housing, animals, families, etc.
https://ncnonprofits.org/members/member-directory
Being of service doesn’t have to feel like another job. Use these tools so that paying it forward feels like a gift.
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