Looking Ahead to 2022 - Day 26

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Volunteering/Community Service

[Granny_Weatherwax]

I will continue to donate blood as often as I can.
I'm thinking about becoming a CASA.
I do a yearly community service project with my tennis students and I'll continue that.
I'll have to find other ways to serve. 

[marbel]

I fall far short in this area. Other than donating $$ to a few places, and food to food pantries/drives... I am doing nothing. I don't even have a church right now where I can help out in various ways. That is definitely something for me to think about. 

[mom31257]

It is a bit challenging being in a new community as well as during Covid. I tried to volunteer at our local library soon after we moved in, but they are not allowing volunteers. I checked back a couple of weeks ago, and they still aren't allowing them. They thanked me and asked me to check again after the new year because they might be changing the policy. I had hoped to host a book club for upper elementary students and possibly have some other fun educational classes with math, science, and/or writing. 

We are going to a new church, but I haven't started volunteering there yet. I served in the children's ministry in our previous church, and I did observe one Wednesday night at this new church. The behavior of the kids wasn't not managed as well as at our previous church, and I felt like security of the kids wasn't as much, either. I'm not sure that's where I should serve because I would want to be much stricter. 

I am hopeful that I will find the best place for me to serve in some way. 

 

 

 

 

[ScoutTN]

My daughter is in American Heritage Girls, a scouting organization, so we do a good bit of community service. All local except OCC shoeboxes.

Trash pick up

Collect and stock donations for food pantry

Used book drive for the church with the food pantry. They provide immigrants with a variety of household items.

Visit and speak appreciation to veterans

We will have 2 or 3 Stars and Stripes (like an Eagle scout) projects happening this year, so multiple opportunities to serve non-profits there.

My family serves in various ways in organizations concerned with immigrants/refugees, right to life, literacy, nature/environment.

 

[Ditto]

I donate both my time and money to my church.  Right now that is the only volunteering that I do.

[SKL]

Volunteering / community service:

Every time this topic comes up, I feel guilty.  Volunteering took up a large place in my life before kids.  Since I've been a mom, it's been up and down, but it never feels like enough.  And with teen-aged kids, I also feel guilty that my kids aren't doing more.  I can blame this and that, but bottom line, I want to do more.

So anyway, let's try committing to some things, SKL ....

• Giving blood - now I think I am allowed to do this regularly, I hope.  So why not?  Does this count as volunteering?
• Community Emergency Response Team - my kids and I finished the training in fall 2021.  I have no idea whether they'll ever call us, but if they do, we can hopefully help out someway.  Meanwhile, I can review the training materials to keep things fresh.
• My kids and I should practice our first aid / CPR skills to remain ready should our skills be needed.
• Fundraisers connected with school / sports / maybe church.  I usually try to pay my way out of these, but I think it would be good to do some of the work with my girls if possible.  Car washes, collecting parking fees, and similar - these would be the low hanging fruit.
• Some legal stuff related to a couple of nonprofits on which I am or have been an officer.  (Plus the standard annual work that I do for nonprofits.)
• I'd love to work the election again if I could fit it in.  Too bad it's 20 hours straight on a work day.  Maybe if I could get ahead on my work though ....
• Various one-offs that present themselves with organizations I've worked with before.  Wildlife habitat preservation, traumatic players, clean-up / reno projects etc.  And maybe working with my girls to buy and deliver groceries for a human services organization.

And I strive to perform the community service of trying to raise decent human beings ... and a reasonably well-behaved pup.  I know you all are doing that too, but I still think it's important to keep it front of mind.  Kuz I don't know about you, but some days I feel like throwing up my hands and walking away.  Wouldn't it be more fun to plant trees in the national park than fight with a teen over her poor choices?  😛

[Granny_Weatherwax]

@ScoutTN- Scouting is what helped me fall in love with volunteering and community service. I enjoyed those days and wish I had a scout again. Unfortunately, my DGD doesn't want to do scouts. She lives too far away for me to help with much anyway.

@SKL - I think donating blood should count. I'm counting it. It's altruistic, benefits others, and requires me to give of myself in a personal, intimate manner. There's nothing like it; at least nothing I can think of.

[Eos]

5 hours ago, SKL said:

Volunteering took up a large place in my life before kids.

I feel the opposite - with fewer kids at home I have more time now to volunteer.  We've always donated lots of in-kind donations to every fundraiser that asks, and small towns ask a lot!  I'm on the board of our library and chair of the DEI committee, a town government board, a local historic venue board, various things through Quaker Meeting, a racial equity working group, and random one-offs like running a water station on the marathon route and helping with the green room at the show choir.  My all time favorite is spending a day each week from August through October spotting and counting raptors for the Hawk Watch. 

I would be a good blood donator since I am not squeamish at all, thanks to previous posters for mentioning. I've just never remembered to do it, even though my mother has done it all her life.  That will be an intention for the upcoming year.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Bump

[Slache]

Not until I don't have littles. I'm considering volunteering for VBS this year, but that's it.