Volunteering has lots of benefits. It’s responsible for half of new job creation and income growth among Americans between the ages of 16 and 24. It’s less expensive than welfare and more effective at attracting productive new members into the community. But many young people are hesitant to sign up, worried about what it will be like and whether the community accepts them. So, where do they turn?
Many turn to a few programs that place volunteers at the heart of local social services. These programs weave volunteerism into the fabric of everyday life, providing an entry point for others into the social fabric, and carrying the potential for remaking our world in ways we couldn’t even imagine before.
Volunteering is a huge part of our lives, whether we realize it. Whether you have loved ones or just a desire to be around people who care about your success, there are many ways to get involved with several organizations and initiatives. From giving to charities and causes you believe in working for a business that wants to do right by its customers, there are many reasons we choose to give back to others in our communities.
Volunteering is a way to give back and improve yourself as a person. There’s nothing better than helping people in need, and many people are inspired to get involved in service-learning or service projects due to a desire to make a positive impact on others. Maybe you’ve already thought about how you could get involved with a prospective volunteer project. Or maybe you’re just now considering signing up for one. Regardless of your reason for wanting to volunteer, here are some ways to maximize your time and efforts while helping others:
Education Project Ideas
Volunteering can bring up the level of commitment you have towards your line of work. Have you ever thought about how important it is to show commitment to something? Many people often think about what to do for a volunteer position before even thinking about what type of position they want or need. Being committed to a cause or job ahead of time can stop you from taking shortcuts or being let down by a program that could have used your help.
Volunteer programs offer a wide variety of rewarding and challenging opportunities to people of all ages and backgrounds. Volunteering can be time consuming and require a great deal of personal effort, energy, and commitment. Yet, it may be the one activity in which we can collectively make a positive difference—one in which we give valued service to others in the service of an ideal we share.
There are many volunteer opportunities to choose from, including giving in the service of religion, politics, labor organizations, or other social organizations.
Service For AmeriCorps
Service for AmeriCorps is a national service program that strengthens the voice of young Americans through service. AmeriCorps offers various opportunities to get involved with projects that foster community service, strengthen citizenship, and provide educational opportunities. So whether you decide to serve on a board, work at a program office, or lead a community protest, Service for AmeriCorps has an opening for you!
Volunteering can be a fantastic way to give back and make a difference in the world. However, the process can overwhelm when deciding what type of service to join. There are over 120,000 AmeriCorps volunteers across the country. That’s a lot of volunteers to handle! There are also many kinds of organizations you can join, so choosing the right one can be tricky. Service for AmeriCorps can help make your choice easier.
Are you interested in serving your community as a member of a national organization? If so, AmeriCorps has many opportunities for you to sign up and volunteer. AmeriCorps also has several service opportunities specifically tailored for young adults interested in college or career preparation. While not all organizations use service opportunities similarly, there are certain similarities in how each type of organization opts for volunteers to make their mission successful.
Volunteering can be an understated way of affecting lives and showing your value. AmeriCorps is one of the best national service programs available, and rewarding though it may be, new volunteers, are still largely misunderstood. The service doesn’t just give you a paycheck; it encourages you to think critically about how your time can be used most effectively. This allows you to learn about your abilities and talents and those of other people in your community, see the larger picture and make more significant contributions globally.
City Year for AmeriCorps
If you want to make a difference in the world but aren’t sure where to start, City Year is a great place to find opportunities to equip you for future jobs and careers. AmeriCorps allows civilians to serve as civic leaders and mentors in various projects throughout New York City. AmeriCorps’ members serve two-year terms on top-performing units, which give them access to advanced training, new technologies, and expert guidance with building successful strategies and programs.
City Year provides one million volunteer opportunities each year in both private and public organizations. AmeriCorps’ members serve in various roles, from serving on a city planning team to working in a homeless shelter. As part of our work with City Year, we are also looking at ways to increase the participation of young people in AmeriCorps and other national service programs.
Northern Star Alliance FRC for Combatting Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery that has emerged in many countries around the world. Trafficked women and children are compelled to engage in commercial sexual activity by powerful men who control them through fear and use violence if necessary. These men command extensive networks of included men and use these networks to recruit new victims into commercial sexual servitude.
Using force and the threat of force to control victims is a tactic used by human traffickers in many forms of human trafficking. It is vital that society investigates human trafficking offenses and identifies those involved in committing these crimes so that appropriate measures can be taken to deter future victimization.
Help fight human trafficking by becoming a volunteer with the National Geographic Society’s (NGS) Are You a mountain biker? Series. You can help map the routes used by criminals who threaten and force women and children into prostitution every year. These dangerous criminals use motorcycles and other vehicles to transport women from place to place, often over rough terrain. Bikers should know how to recognize possible indicators of being targeted for possible human trafficking and intervene before it’s too late.
Bottom Line
There are many types of volunteer opportunities, from helping at a soup kitchen to leading a school club. Choosing the right one can be difficult, but when all factors are considered, it becomes easier. When looking for opportunities to give back to your community, try looking at websites dedicated to specific causes. You’ll find a wealth of information regarding what types of projects are being done in each area. Finding these types of websites isn’t hard and shouldn’t take much time if you are interested in helping in some fashion.
If you are passionate about helping others, there are several options for you to consider. Whether you prefer physical activities like volunteering at a soup kitchen or campaigning for a candidate who will curb gun violence, there are many opportunities to get involved. Unfortunately, choosing the proper organization can sometimes be hard, as hundreds of different organizations deliver different services. But just because one organization doesn’t have everything doesn’t mean that the other two won’t help you. To help you make the right decision, we have compiled a list of organizations that focus on local issues or focus on more significant national issues.
