Make A Difference by Giving Back

• Giving back is so important. There are endless amounts of ways to give back. You don’t have to be directly affected or know somebody who is directly affected in order to donate your time with a not-profit.  Volunteer with organizations that you are passionate about whether it may be helping to fight hunger, helping fight child or domestic abuse, helping women or men in need, helping animals find loving homes, helping the homeless, helping to fight a disease, etc. 
• It’s important to find volunteer opportunities that allow you to utilize and maximize your strengths and interests.  For instance, if you love sports then you can teach child with disabilities how to play your favorite sport, if you love to teach then you can help someone learn to read or to speak English, if you love to cook then you can help at a soup kitchen or to prepare food for an event, if you love to decorate then you can help set up a charity event, if you love to organize and plan then you can be on the development side of an event, if you love working with money then you can help with the financial side of an organization and/or help to raise money, if you love to exercise then you should sign up for a race, etc.
• How to Find Opportunities: 
• Email the volunteer coordinator on any organization’s website and ask how you can help.  Organizations are always in need of some extra help.
• www.volunteermatch.org
• www.1-800-volunteer.org
• www.myvolunteerpage.com
• Volunteering ideas: exercise your passion for event planning and help set up at a charity function, put your social skills to work and help out with advertising and cold calling, take dogs who are at shelters or the humane society for daily walks,  think of fun and creative ways to raise money for an organization,
• Volunteering is great for many reasons.  It allows you to meet people, learn more about your community, it builds social skills, it can lead to exciting new opportunities, it allows you to learn what you are most passionate about in life, it builds great character and self-esteem, it’s great for your resume, etc. I volunteered for a few events with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Illinois Chapter which led to me being asked to be an intern with the organization and work downtown in a fabulous high-rise.  I helped out wherever I was needed but eventually I became the assistant event coordinator for the 2010 MS Walk. It was an amazing experience and I learned a lot.