Who needs help, but just for a little while?

October 30, 2009 2:14 PM

What are good volunteer opportunities for someone who moves from city to city several times a year?

I really like my current job, and one great aspect of it is that it leaves me lots of free time. I would like to do some type of volunteer work with that free time, perhaps 5 hours per week. However, the big downside of my job is that I have to move around quite a bit and won't ever bee in the same city for more than about 3 months.

What I'd really love to do is get involved in ESL classes for immigrants, since I used to do that professionally. However, that generally takes a good bit of commitment because a teacher who can only do 2-3 classes and then quit isn't much help to anyone. I don't want to be more of a burden than a help, so I'd be willing to consider other ways to help people, preferable involving personal interaction.

Who should I be talking to? What kind of organizations should I contact? Churches? I'd love any ideas anyone has. Other teaching skills I have that might be useful for some group: basic computer hardware/software, SAT, GRE or LSAT prep, writing, reading. Also, I speak Spanish pretty well and am semi-conversant in Mandarin.

posted by bluejayk to work & money (10 comments total)

You could be a language partner for people with more advanced English skills - talk with them in person at first, and then when you move you can do so on the phone, write letters back and forth (even via email, and send them corrected version maybe). This would especially be nice for an older person or two for whom this could be engaging, stimulating, and perhaps also an outlet in one of the lonelier periods of some peoples' lives. It may also help you feel a greater sense of connection and groundedness that might be lacking since you're moving about so much. You could try churches, community centers, assisted living homes, convalescence homes, or hospice services to find appropriate language partners.
posted by lorrer at 2:56 PM on October 30, 2009

You can also volunteer for any city's literacy program - many of them have ESL programs too, and they often are one-to-one tutoring. Most of them will have websites, or will be listed in the phone book. Or you can google them.
posted by patheral at 3:21 PM on October 30, 2009

I think the key for you is being able to demonstrate that you are dedicated despite your short tenure. There are lots of people who, for example, only serve food on Thanksgiving or when they're doing a sorority service project. Your limitations aren't based on interest, so you have the opportunity to contribute in other ways.

Maybe you can find an organization that has offices in multiple cities. Get some experience where you can, but make it so that you can just find the nearest Habitat for Humanity chapter, for example, and have some skills that you know they'll need all ready to go. (Habitat might not be the best example, but you know what I mean.) You could also carry a little reference note from another chapter saying, "Hey, this is Pat, and Pat is very useful. You should let Pat jump right in because Pat really knows what's up with the kind of things we do!"

Given your language skills, maybe Rotary might also have some ideas for how you could use them, particularly in towns with large international student populations.

Talking about serving meals on Thanksgiving reminds me again how soup kitchens are always stuffed with requests at the holidays. It's the non-holiday times that are difficult. So those would be great opportunities to help out, if you can find out where to go.
posted by Madamina at 3:23 PM on October 30, 2009

[Okay, if I had looked at your profile first, I would have seen that your name is Josh, and you are most likely a guy. Sorry!]
posted by Madamina at 3:25 PM on October 30, 2009

Possibly looking at your question a bit sideways, how about volunteering with something that doesn't care *where* you are? When I had more free time, I spent quite a bit of it at Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders, which may or may not appeal to you. Possibly doesn't have the same real-people interaction thing that many people are looking for with volunteering, though....
posted by Lebannen at 3:54 PM on October 30, 2009

One of our volunteers at the food bank is a nurse, and so can't commit to any particular weekly shift. How she still manages to volunteers is by being the sub - anytime someone can't come in or if there is extra need, she gets called and covers. This might work for you, because you don't have to commit to anything that you'd feel awful leaving in a few months. You can help some organization cover the gaps while you're around, get trained in a bunch of areas, and the leave and help someone else cover their gaps for awhile.
posted by arcticwoman at 5:15 PM on October 30, 2009

check out United Nation's onlinevolunteering.org. Many organizations have short term projects that might actually match your availability. The UN's site, in particular, sounds like it'd be good for you. For e.g. I was matched with a nonprof in Canada that does development work in southern Africa. They needed someone who could "tele-volunteer" (as opposed to "telecommuting) for 5 or 6 hrs per week for 6 weeks. Also try volunteermatch.org and idealist.org.
posted by lolo341 at 6:30 PM on October 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

I definitely think looking for a national organization (American Red Cross, Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries) with many offices would be a good place to start. That way, you can do similar work in each place and any training would be transferable. You also will have good references (Bob in Boston can call his colleage Sam in San Francisco and say "Hey, this awesome volunteer is headed your way").

Would you be comfortable being a translator?
posted by radioamy at 7:10 PM on October 30, 2009

Some places have you call and check up on elderly or home-bound people once a week or so. You call the person once a week, at around the same time/same day, just to say hello and chat for 15-20 minutes. It is very rewarding for both of you and, of course, you don't need to be in once place. If it sounds interesting I can help you find some NYC based places that do it.
posted by kathrineg at 9:11 PM on October 30, 2009

Thanks very much for the suggestions everyone, I've got some good ideas now for what kind of projects I might be able to get involved with.
posted by bluejayk at 10:11 AM on October 31, 2009