When you start thinking about the problems of your community or the society in general, they might seem enormous. Unfortunately, global problems really are knotty and complex. At this point, you might feel discouraged to do anything at all. Seriously, how can one person change the situation which is so huge?
Do you think this question is rhetorical? Anyway, we have an answer to it. Imagine you are standing in a completely dark room. All you have is a small candle. You light it and suddenly everything around you is no longer dark. A few people around you also light their candles, shining their gentle light down on the dark surroundings. You see, just a few people can bring enough brightness to fight the darkness.
This is exactly how philanthropy works. Only one person can make a huge difference. Once you undertake the initiative, you will see that you are not alone, there are many like-minded people.
Having set your mind on volunteering, you have to decide where to volunteer.
Start with your preferences
Remember when they asked you what you wanted to be as an adult? Choosing your profession, you also had to mind career prospects and profitability. With volunteering it’s completely different. Here, you can focus entirely on your interests.
- If you love animals, you can volunteer at an animal shelter (or even set up your own).
- If you dreamt of becoming a doctor as a child, you can find a volunteer program at a nearby hospital.
- If you are into business, you would probably enjoy fundraising and volunteer project management.
Think about your inborn talents
All of us have some skills. Draw volunteering ideas from what you are good at. You can find a volunteering position which will help you develop your talents into valuable skills.
- Good speakers could help volunteering organizations raise awareness among the society about an issue.
- Awesome cooks could help feed the disadvantaged in the area.
Remember! It can be a good idea to volunteer by sharing skills you do not use that often. This way you will not only help the others but also develop your skills and broaden your horizons. For instance, if you have stage fright, you can volunteer to participate in a charitable performance. As the result, you will combat your fears in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere.
Look for volunteering opportunities in your community.
Look around. There are a lot of things that have needs to be improved in your area. What projects would benefit from your participation? Or maybe you can launch a volunteering initiative?
You can raise money to offer some help to homeless people.
If there is a territory which needs to be cleaned, such as river banks or streets full of garbage, you can organize a group of volunteers to clean the territory, maybe plant some nice flowers, etc.
Whatever you do, don’t hesitate to tell your friends and acquaintances about it. There will definitely be someone willing to help you. Joined efforts will bring better results.