USVI-On-Line

Those of you that have time to volunteer your time to things...we're curious as to what you donate your time toward. What do you feel is rewarding enough of your time?

We're reaching our retirement years and want to volunteer but are picky as to what and where we give our time.

To help the feedback, maybe I should give a brief look at our background:

Me: education and business
Hubby: construction and world affairs

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I have recently taken the course to be a literacy tutor....... and will work with my first learner starting this week.

It amazed me to learn of the rate of illiteracy and low literacy in this country (USA) .... and imagine the impact that learning to read or even to be able to fill out the most basic forms will have on the people that I work with. It is so important that the gap between the "classes" narrows instead of grows if we are to be a strong nation!

I am very excited.... as I have looked for almost a year for something to do that feels significant!

I am pretty much a full time volunteer.
Girl Scout leader-that takes up a ton of time, but incredibly rewarding. Our girls have been together for 6 years.

Volunteering for our Girl scout district team (helping new leaders, etc...) I am also in charge of communications.

PTA for my daughters elementary school-have done everything over the years-mainly publicity related ...doing communications this year.

I am also the youth group leader at our church this year.

This is making me tired.

I am editing because I just realized I didn't answer your question! If I was starting something new I would vote for the schools. There are so many kids that would benefit from one on one help. There are also a lot of schools that don't get volunteers-their population is such that parents are either working, working multiple jobs, or just not interested. These schools really need help in places like the Media center, office, or health room. Just someone to be there and shelve books, answer the phone, put on bandaids, etc...there is a ton of work to be done at the schools--in additon to tutoring, of course.

one more thing. here is a great website. you can search by zipcode for opportunities in your area. it might be a good idea to do a few small projects and see who you like working for the best.

http://www.handsonnetwork.org/

the search is halfway down the page on the left.

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I coach the state junior rifle team and in the past have taught SDM's for the army.

Like djmom, the bulk of my volunteer efforts for the past 12 years have been in my kids'schools.... in the classroom, the library and fundraising for the PTO. When my youngest is a little older I'd like to start helping to deliver Meals on Wheels to elders around town. That is a wonderful program.

Terry - I work for AARP

There is a wealth of information on volunteering.
http://www.aarp.org/community/search.bt?query=volunteer

if you are an animal lover, try helping out your local shelters.

you could foster an animal needing temporary housing until a permanent home is found or you could volunteer your business skills or your husband could help do minor repairs/improvements needed on the kennels etc.

Now that my seven year "reign" as president of a local youth soccer club is over, I'm branching out a bit.

I'm on the advisory committee for a county park that is being built, and am on the chef's committee for an annual fundraiser for the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization - it's called "Men Cooking From the Heart" and we recruit 100 or so men from the local community to prepare food that they will serve, which is the centerpiece for a big event with entertainment, silent and live auctions, and spotlights on the local "bigs and littles".

I'm considering returning to a program called Take Stock in Children, where local kids that are considered high risk for not graduating are paired with a mentor. If they stay with the program and stay out of trouble (arrest free, drug free, no discipline problems at school) they become eligible for scholarship funds to help them go to college.

My wife does a lot of school oriented volunteering, SAC committee, project graduation, etc.

We're proud of the fact that both of our sons have taken to volunteering as well - from helping out where there are calls for volunteers to forming their own teams for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Relay For Life. My oldest has benefitted from Odyssey of the Mind so much that last year he went back to his old elementary school and talked them into letting him start of team there, and that team just competed at regionals for the second year running.

I think it's great to hear about folks looking to volunteer, and I'm certain that every community has needs in that area where anyone's expertise and/or willingness to pitch in will be welcome!

This is another site to find groups in you area that need volunteers.

www.volunteermatch.org

If you are animal lovers I definitely suggest volunteering at an animal shelter. Millions of unwanted cats and dogs are euthanized every year in the United States...and I know that the volunteering that I do is just a drop in a very large bucket, but at least it’s something...and it matters to individual animals that are very deserving of love. Through my volunteering I have access to low cost spay/neuter information, so I distribute that as much as possible. It is such a shame that defenseless animals have to suffer for the mistakes that we humans make.

Also, I can tell you that at my charity we love retired folks because they are able to volunteer during the day

Animal shelters certainly need volunteers, but human shelters are also in great need and a variety of opportunities and degrees of involvement are possible.

Habitat for Humanity also has a lot of very interesting opportunities---either on a local or global level.

http://www.habitat.org/

I volunteer at our local SPCA. I am an animal lover and it's been very fulfilling for me.

I've already adopted one cat and had a really hard time taking back 3 kittens I was fostering.

They really need the help there because there are not enough funds to hire enough people to do the work.

I like the people and it's a BIG change from my real job, which I hate.

My volunteerism now is most with my kids' schools, sports and our church, but I have enjoyed volunteering for homeless shelters, the local zoo, an Infant Welfare clinic, building programs and various town committees. There are so many opportunities out there and the links others have posted will help you narrow it down. You can also go onto the National Park Service web site and look for out of state / travel volunteer opportunities.

As a retiree (or soon to be one) you might enjoy doing some work with kids. Our school has a 'senior readers' program in which senior volunteers are paired with teachers, and visit once a week to read a book of their choice. My parents do this and have really enjoyed it. One of the senior readers was a fighter pilot, and the kids love this guy and his stories.

With a background in construction, your DH might enjoy something like Habitat for Humanity.

Whatever you choose, I'm sure they will appreciate your time and you will feel rewarded.