Opportunities had dried up with Covid, but yesterday I went to a meeting of political party to volunteer! I haven’t done this since my early 20s. I’m mainly helping to get folks actually registered to vote (no matter what affiliation) My family are an as needed for Seniors meals on wheels, and it is so rewarding. Kinda sad now, as many have no contact (understandably). Do you volunteer any where? What is your favorite type? if you had more time, where would you love to volunteer?
That is fantastic Anne! Right now I’m limiting my outing to necessary as my husband is considered ‘high risk’ If he is to get Covid. I did alot of volunteer work at our church and at the school.
Sadly, due to Covid19 I have not been allowed to do my volunteer work in Aged Care since March. I miss it a lot and hope they soon will allow us volunteers to return.
I haven't done much of anything because all of the stuff I normally volunteer for has been canceled (church and school stuff). The only thing I'm still doing right now is being an "at large" member (aka extra opinions for voting) on my church council. Lately we've had to do most of our meetings via Zoom though. Normally this time of year we'd be starting up our church choir too, but I don't think we'll even do that this year. It's weird!
I currently volunteer at free food distribution centre for poor families. I give out weekly breakfast parcels on Wednesday mornings. My other volunteering is on hold due to Covid restrictions.
My usual volunteering dried up with COVID since we’re not having all our church meetings. Back in April we did sew 100 masks for medical professionals as part of a project to sew a million masks on the just serve app. And we’re currently collecting food for pantry packs to go home with needy school kids on the weekends.
I would so love to find the time to volunteer somewhere. I'm hoping that in retirement I can do lots of it!!
I'm a lead for my local chapter of Moms Demand Action. I also signed up to write postcards to voters in swing states encouraging them to vote in November; those should arrive in the next couple weeks. I was serving on the board of a local youth ministry program but my term ended in April & I'm not comfortable with their plans for a "safe" retreat this fall. Once we are post-vaccine, I will be volunteering more hands-on with that organization and their high school students. Between those two opportunities, working, the kiddos, & church, my schedule is all full.
I honestly don't volunteer much. I do teach at our church and run our local homeschool group. I occasionally help at the Pregnancy Care Center...I'm actually helping with their half marathon that will hopefully be coming up in November.
I am part of a teaching literacy to adults program through our government libraries. I have my first client who is so lovely and I can't wait to get started but still waiting for covid restrictions to ease. Luckily the library is paying for me to do an Indigenous Awareness course while I wait so looking forward to that. Did a heap of volunteering at the kids school but this is our last year so no more of that. Will hopefully do more with English as a second language and the literacy once the pandemic is over.
I have in the past well before COVID. My last main volunteer job was as a member of a governance board for a community law centre (free legal advice) for people with disabilities. I would have continued with that but my three year term was coming to an end anyway and family needed my help for a bit.
Still at the happy paws charity book shop (funds a vet clinic for strays,and has a neutering program for cats and dogs. ) But due to covid and my hubby being at risk, I go when the shop is closed,to sort out the book donations,so I no longer have contact with the customers. I miss that bit.
I just signed up to work the polls on Election Day in November and have done PTA and Parents Association for the gymnastics team my daughter was on in the past. I also used to volunteer with Vacation Bible School when my children were in that age range, and was the Craft/Activities Director for my local MOMS group. I signed up for Meals on Wheels a few months ago, but have not heard anything about that. I also sent in an application to be a tester for the COVID-19 vaccine, but haven't heard back about that either. Back before I got pregnant with my son, I went with my Mom (she was a RN) to Honduras to help with medical needs back in early 1999 after there was a horrible hurricane there. She helped other medical professionals run 6 different med and dental clinics that each lasted one day- each one was in a different village near the bigger town we were staying in. I helped sort medications/supplies that had been donated and also helped make baked goods that we gave out in the villages. We also helped distribute shoes and clothing that had been sent to the area to those in need. Since I learned in late February that I have an unruptured cerebral aneurysm, I have been nervous to do much of anything, as it could rupture at any time. I am learning to live with the idea that no one is promised another hour, so I shouldn't be so anxious about this. I still refuse to eat inside restaurants or go anywhere without a mask and am planning to continue like this until I have gotten my COVID-19 vaccine.
I've had a number of different volunteer positions over the years. Currently I am a literacy tutor working with a young woman from Syria. We've been on hiatus since March. I'm also a Girl Scout volunteer with our local council - 30 years of volunteering! I was a troop leader for most of that time. Now I'm a member of our regional Gold Award committee. We interview the girls who are submitting proposals for their Gold Award Take Action Project making sure that their project is up to the highest standards and is thought out & well-planned. We're part of each girl's support team helping her earn the GSUSA highest award. We've been doing lots of Zoom interviews lately.
I currently volunteer as the treasurer for my daughter's American Heritage Girls troop, I'm helping my son with his Eagle project, and I'm virtually indexing names through the Daughters of the American Revolution so others can search for their Patriots names listed in the documents When needed, I sometimes bring the kids to help at a friend's drive through food bank. My kids typically get, on average, 150 hours of volunteer time each year, and I will average around 75 in person hours myself. This year is going to be tough to reach that many hours!
Anne, I love you SO much!!! I especially loved your "without party affiliation"!! I have a sweet addition to your post - years ago - probably about the time "meals on wheels" started, I used to go with my sweet Grandma, Lola, to deliver "meals". I was so humbled by the people she helped and I've never forgotten it. We used to go to visit the "shut-ins" when I was younger - and active in my church - people who couldn't get out - mostly because of their age - I'm ashamed to say that I haven't been as active as I used to be. My grandma, Lola, did so many things that were such a contribution. She was very active in ANY cancer groups - one of the groups she was active in was "rolling bandages for cancer" - I just did some research and found this link: https://www.michelleule.com/2016/02/23/what-is-bandage-rolling/ She was also active in The Women's Christian Temperance Union https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman's_Christian_Temperance_Union Wow, thanks for the "walk down memory lane".
I love volunteering. I'm on the board of directors for Let's Talk Access Initiative - our goal is connect people who use talking devices with able speakers. Right now, with COVID, our in-person events have been cancelled, but we do have virtual event every week. I also volunteer for 2 animal rescues and I take the adoption photos for one of them and I did a pet photo fundraiser for the other. If I had more time, I would love to volunteer more with special needs kids.