Paying it forward... http://www.lunch.com/worldwidevolunteeris I have a hectic life. I'm planning my own wedding and because of budget constraints, I'm DIYing a lot of it. I'm attempting to get my BA after I had to change majors due to circumstances beyond my control.  I have two jobs and work around 50-60 hours a week. I run my own company as well. In between all of this, I maintain my relationships, make time for the Fs in life- fiance, friends, family and somehow find some "me" time as in eating, sleeping and keeping my house clean. Sound familiar?

However, after gaining some inspiration from my mom who, at the age of 66, has volunteered as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children who don't have a voice. This is a hardcore program that requires a two year requirement because you are a court officer. Then, last night I finally watched Darfur Now and wow, what a film. I was so struck by the helplessness and the massiveness of Darfur just like I was with Rwanda and Uganda.

The thought came to me, what am I doing? After all the experience that I have with volunteering, why aren't I helping? Those "reasons" I listed above are all just excuses. So, I checked out www.volunteermatch.org. They have viral opportunities, so you can help out while you're tweeting and facebooking your day away. They even have volunteer jobs as a social media person- tweeting and FBing!

The best thing about Volunteer Match is that they make it so easy for you to volunteer, that it's almost ridiculous if you don't take them up on their offer. If you prefer to get out of the house, you get to dictate how you want to change the world. You can search via zip code and keywords (environment, women, kids, international, etc) and they will present you a list of perfect matches for you.

Like I said above, they also have viral opportunities so if you're the type that's always in front of a computer, like myself, this is a perfect match. If you want resume builders, they have them as well- every possible talent that you could have, they have a need for it.

So, have I convinced you? Well, why not just check it out and let me know what you think? It takes less time than reading this piece!]]> http://www.lunch.com/worldwidevolunteeris/reviews/website/UserReview-VolunteerMatch_org-484-1426076-73547-Think_You_re_Too_Busy_To_Volunteer_Think_Again_.html http://www.lunch.com/worldwidevolunteeris/reviews/website/UserReview-VolunteerMatch_org-484-1426076-73547-Think_You_re_Too_Busy_To_Volunteer_Think_Again_.html Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:41:45 +0000
My review comes from a few experiences: a week spent with Habitat in Northern California and multiple one-day work sessions with Habitat of Southern Santa Barbara County.

Most people expect that if they volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, they'll be building a house. They're most often imagining the framing process -- hammering the home's wood skeleton together. Sometimes, that's what you're doing. But the homebuilding process is much longer than that. For example, here are tasks I've had while working with Habitat:

• undoing the framing of a house after previous volunteers had bad measurements
• siding
• window framing
• cutting boards
• moving dirt
• building a wooden fence
• painting a metal fence
• painting boards
• surveying

To have a satisfying, productive and fun time with this organization, I provide the following tips.

1. Be prepared for manual labor. This seems like a no-brainer, but this can be quite a wakeup call for inactive people.
2. Dress for manual labor. Your clothes should be comfortable, layered, and ready to get dirty/stained.
3. Stay hydrated.
4. Take breaks and stretch when you need to.
5. Ask lots of questions to make sure you're doing the right job the right way. 
6. Be prepared for repetitive tasks.
7. Become friends with the lead volunteers who are doling out the work so that you can get the cool projects.

How much do you need to know about construction? I'm not a carpenter, plumber or landscaper. I don't have an occupation or hobby that makes me a good fit for Habitat for Humanity. That's why I was amazed to find myself using power saws and crawling on scaffolding on my first Habitat project. You don't have to be an expert. You just have to listen when they teach you. They won't ask you to do anything you can't handle. If for some reason they do, just tell them you're not prepared to do it.

Why is this a good organization to volunteer for? There are few things more meaningful than helping a person get a home. And because the families that are chosen to live in Habitat homes have to contribute their own time in the form of "sweat equity" (which I think is at least 500 hours), you often get to work side-by-side with the people who will directly benefit from your labor. It's also the type of job that when you leave for the day, you can look and say "I did that." And whether "that" is bathroom tile or a future homeowner's smile, it's very satisfying.]]> http://www.lunch.com/worldwidevolunteeris/reviews/d/UserReview-Habitat_for_Humanity-484-1380606-14171-A_Volunteer_s_Guide_to_Habitat_for_Humanity.html http://www.lunch.com/worldwidevolunteeris/reviews/d/UserReview-Habitat_for_Humanity-484-1380606-14171-A_Volunteer_s_Guide_to_Habitat_for_Humanity.html Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:06:12 +0000