Not the usual 21st birthday
December 8, 2008 4:56 PM Subscribe
Would like to begin volunteering on my birthday in part to redefine my birthday tradition. Do you have any suggestions?
After so many years of work my family is now blessed to have some degree of comfort and stability. As an act of gratitude (which I will in no way be able to pay back) I would like to give back to the world. I would like to redefine, in my actions, my birthday tradition and more importantly how I can change as a person.
I decided I want to spend more time volunteering. I'd like to start on my birthday as that is around the time I will be arriving back home. My birthday is on december 23rd, I am in the nyc area. I will be in the nyc area till Jan 2nd. I speak/write/read english, spanish and a little arabic. Any suggestions o powerful hive mind?
After so many years of work my family is now blessed to have some degree of comfort and stability. As an act of gratitude (which I will in no way be able to pay back) I would like to give back to the world. I would like to redefine, in my actions, my birthday tradition and more importantly how I can change as a person.
I decided I want to spend more time volunteering. I'd like to start on my birthday as that is around the time I will be arriving back home. My birthday is on december 23rd, I am in the nyc area. I will be in the nyc area till Jan 2nd. I speak/write/read english, spanish and a little arabic. Any suggestions o powerful hive mind?
Especially with the spanish language skills how about volunteering in a literacy program for either children or adults, or reading to the elderly?
@freshwater_pr0n, god bless you for thinking of a volunteer activity to help the staff at at not-for-profits. We get so many volunteers who want their work to be "meaningful," i.e. direct client contact, which I really sympathize with, but the administrative and professional staff are the ones with the experience and training. Helping with administrative burdens, especially at small and midsized agencies, really will improve services at ground level. thanks so much for putting the idea out there.
posted by nax at 6:37 PM on December 8, 2008
@freshwater_pr0n, god bless you for thinking of a volunteer activity to help the staff at at not-for-profits. We get so many volunteers who want their work to be "meaningful," i.e. direct client contact, which I really sympathize with, but the administrative and professional staff are the ones with the experience and training. Helping with administrative burdens, especially at small and midsized agencies, really will improve services at ground level. thanks so much for putting the idea out there.
posted by nax at 6:37 PM on December 8, 2008
Many foodbanks and homeless shelters need lots of volunteers on Christmas to serve meals. Your birthday is close, could you volunteer on Christmas? If not, perhaps you can help with preparation/cooking in advance?
posted by zachlipton at 7:21 PM on December 8, 2008
posted by zachlipton at 7:21 PM on December 8, 2008
Well if your feeling incredibly lazy and anti-social after your travels, make 1 day a year a zero carbon emission day. Turn off the main electric, don't travel anywhere (except by foot), eat only local veggies, read a book by candle-light, etc.. in general, the more money we have, the more carbon we emit, the more resources at our disposal. A day of "fasting" is helpful for balance and remembrance of our totally unsustainable modern way of life.
posted by stbalbach at 8:20 PM on December 8, 2008
posted by stbalbach at 8:20 PM on December 8, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
I do a lot of work in the animal community, and I know that one of the most useful things I could do with one day would be to call up my local humane society, or low-cost animal clinic and offer to convert all of their voicemail to written notes, and then answer any voicemails I could.
It's not much fun, but it's something that few people volunteer to do, and it will take a load off peoples' minds.
posted by freshwater_pr0n at 5:14 PM on December 8, 2008 [1 favorite]