Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with volunteer

Part time EMT?

kturner — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 08:20:27 -0800

I am wondering about pursuing EMT certification for a part time job or a way to volunteer. I don't want to pursue a full time career, just supplemental. Is this feasible for that job and environment? Any advice on the best types of EMT jobs that can be part time? I am in Seattle but perspective from anywhere is great.

Where to find volunteer pen-pals for elders?

cross_impact — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 07:37:28 -0800

Mission of Mercy Filter: How can I find sources of cheery personal mail for my lonely elder Alzheimer's patient? I live with my mother-in-law who has middle stage Alzheimer's. She does a lot of sitting and staring. She has no attention span for books or magazines or TV. She lights up for visitors, dessert, church... and personal mail. I am looking for a service that arranges (basically, one-directional) "pen-pals" for elder shut-ins. She has just enough means to assure her basic care, but not much for extras. This would have to be a volunteer service like a charity or ministry. I am getting involved in some mail art swap sites in order to direct my part of the swap to my MIL. I am also going to send her some stuff on my own. But I got to wondering -- isn't there a service out there that does this kind of thing? And if not, isn't that a great idea for a service?

If sitting down and jotting a note to someone would make someone's day, wouldn't that be worth doing? I would volunteer for such an effort if it existed. Can you help me find one?

After the peppermint soap buzz wears off..

bradly — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 02:28:50 -0800

My roommate is going to be in Tanzania for 6 months to work with a local NGO. I would like to give him something small he can take with him before he leaves in January. What useful item will he be without access to then that I can give to him now? More details:

Male, mid twenties, item would probably be along the lines of something outdoorsy/practical (the way he is) or some comfort that he will likely miss.

He already owns chocos, nalgenes, filter, stove, master chemist Dr. Bronner's magical soap (DILUTE DILUTE, OK!) and is pretty well covered regarding typical overseas purchases.

Thanks in advance!

Short-term, low-cost volunteer opportunities

pilibeen — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:31:06 -0800

What are some short-term volunteer options that provide free room and board in exchange for work? Looking for some ideas beyond WWOOfing... I'm looking to volunteer sometime in January or February for 2-4 weeks. I'm hoping to keep my only expense in getting to and from the site.

I'd be interested to hear of both international opportunities and things here in the US.

I'd be interested in all types of work - ideally something with part-time hours which would allow me to explore the surrounding area in my down time.

WWOOF'ing fits my needs pretty perfectly, and I'm definitely going to consider that, but I'm also wondering if there are any other options I may be overlooking.

Thanks!

thanksgiving volunteer wilmington de

saraindc — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 12:39:30 -0800

emergency help! I'm without plans tonight at the last minute and want to volunteer in wilmington, delaware area for thanksgiving today/tonight. i can't find any specific opportunities, have already called a few places, didn't find anything on-line. PLEASE if you know of a SPECIFIC place needing volunteers tonight (not just a suggestion to call a church or soup kitchen) let me know asap. thanks!

What are other examples of interactive - "volunteer needed" type websites?

MrBCID — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:02:00 -0800

What are other examples of interactive - "volunteers needed" type websites like WheresGeorge.com, CoCoRaHS, BOINC, Folding@home, Geocaching, BookCrossing?

Where should I volunteer?

serazin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:47:26 -0800

Breaking out of my funk filter: I'd like to do some volunteer work on a regular but limited basis (say, a couple hours a week). I feel that writing is one of my skills, and in the past I've helped friends write really great resumes and cover letters, so I think this might be a good thing for me to focus on. I suppose helping with writing college essays might also work. I have an idea that I'd like to work with veterans specifically, although I'm open to different ideas. And I live in the SF Bay Area. So can you suggest organizations that I might work with - either in my ideal scenario of helping vets with resumes - or doing something else that would utilize my skills?

Volunteer editing

Caduceus — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:41:58 -0800

Where can I get volunteer editing experience in the Portland, OR area, or via the internet? I have been looking for an editorial publishing job since I graduated with a Master's in June, and have had no luck. I'm living in the Portland, OR, area, where there are virtually no positions, so have mostly been applying for positions in other cites. My working theory is that there are so many qualified applicants around right now that no one has had any need to dip into the non-local applicant pool. I've also applied, at a lower rate, to local non-editorial but vaguely related positions, and similarly had no luck.

At this point it doesn't seem likely that I'm going to find a position in the near future, so to keep my skills from atrophying and to possibly make some new contacts, I want to start looking for opportunities to do volunteer editing or proofing work, but I don't have the first clue as to where to start. I'm looking for suggestions or ideas as to what organizations I could volunteer at and actually get to do editing work, rather than general office busywork or anything else that's not related to what I want to do. It doesn't necessarily have to be for an organization that does publishing, though that would be preferable.

Running for the Greater Good

ginagina — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:11:07 -0800

Philly Runners: How do you combine running and volunteering? I'm working on compiling some resources for runners in Philadelphia. One aspect I'm having trouble with is finding ways to combine running and volunteer work. I know about Back on My Feet (http://www.backonmyfeet.org/) but I'd like to find other Philadelphia-based organizations that need people who run (dog shelters? after school programs, etc).

Thanks for your help!

Who needs help, but just for a little while?

bluejayk — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:14:31 -0800

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.

What can I do to most help cancer patients and those who love and care for them?

nnk — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:05:19 -0800

I've just started volunteering at a local hospital on the cancer ward. We've had some training and I do have some personal experience (family member) with cancer treatment, but I want to be as helpful as I can -- If you have spent time on a cancer ward, as a patient, family member or friend -- or as hospital staff, how can I, as a friendly stranger, be most helpful to someone like you? I realize people have a huge range of experience with cancer so I know I am not considering everything -- anything that you consider might make me more helpful to those on the floor would be appreciated. I am there for only 4 hrs/week, so I want to make the most of the time. What sticks out in your mind, positive or negative, big or small, from your experience?

Forget about a vacation, I want to challenge my worldview!

hasna — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:09:03 -0800

Help me spend 5 non-traditional days in Egypt! I'm going to Egypt for 5 (3 full, plus 2 mostly full) days at the end of next week. I have no idea what to spend my time doing.

I'm a 24yo single female, well traveled (but don't speak Arabic), and currently living in Istanbul. I have no intentions of visiting the pyramids (et al.) beyond a quick drive-by photo. I don't like most museums, either. Tour groups (unless to some uber-dangerous, hecka cool part of middle earth) are out the question. And I do not want to pay to see anything. What do I like, you ask? Well, a lot. I'd be happy to sit journalling in a small tea shop in some back alley somewhere. Or to while away an afternoon praying in a mosque. Or play football with kids on the street. Or help some women prepare meals for a few days. Or visit a refugee camp. Or...

I'm open to (and would maybe prefer?) getting away from Cairo, although I understand this might be difficult in such a short time. I will not be packing luggage, but carrying everything in a day-pack type backpack, so I'll be fully mobile. I have a specific interest in (semi-professional) photography, but for the right experience/opportunity, I'd leave my camera gear home. I'm willing to get dirty, and I'm not afraid of much. (I'm full of common sense and travel sense, but I've been to some shady places, and I know where my "line" is). I have (almost) zero interest in anything archeology/ruins related. I'm much more interested in experiencing life and culture as lived by lower class Egypt.

I'm also strongly considering heading up to Al 'Arish, and edging as close as possible to the Gaza border, to see how life is lived there, and what impacts the closed border have on life there. I'd also love to volunteer someplace (not one of those "pay to volunteer" scams), maybe the Egyptian equivalent of a soup kitchen.

Finance-wise, I'm not too concerned, mostly because the things that usually cost the most money (hotels, entry fees, guides...) aren't the kind of things I want to spend my time on. In any case, I'd rather spend less money, than more.

As you can see, there's a lot I could do, I just haven't quite gathered my thoughts on this enough yet. Before you mention it, I have been checking out CouchSurfing, but I'd rather have some sort of a plan before I contact anyone.

Any thoughts, advice, personal experiences would be appreciated. Thanks!

How best to be useful on the ground in Samoa after the tsunami?

metaseeker — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:14 -0800

How best to help out on the ground in Samoa after tsunami? My husband spent two years in Samoa with the Peace Corps in the 80's, and has maintained close ties with a family there. Their village was among the hardest hit by the tsumani. He is planning to head to Samoa to help out in a few weeks.

My question is to people who have worked in disaster areas - how best can he help out? What to bring? Who to coordinate with? What to watch out for? Assume a budget of $2k outside of airfare.

thanks!
loving wife

Canadian definition of products for donation purposes

acoutu — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:12:14 -0800

Canada Donation Filter: Can you donate a productized service and have it count as an in-kind donation to a charity? Services are exempt from in-kind donations under CRA rules. But what about the donation of a tangible product? For example, what if a freelance writer provided a tangible product, such as a finished article in Word format? This is not a service, since it's an actual "thing". Or what if a consultant donated a report and not the services involved in developing that report? Or if a graphic designer donated a newsletter template or finished newsletter? These things could be sold on a website -- lots of consultants sell templates, ebooks, reports and such on demand.

It's unclear to me how these products would be treated under tax laws. For example, if you donate an ebook, which is a product, would that be eligible?

When I read CRA definitions, they seem not to get into how they define products, other than for capital or personal use. And certainly something like an oil change or haircut is a service and not a product. And CRA would not want volunteers to start writing off all the time they spend working in hospitals, at ticket booths and so on. But I am not talking about volunteer time. I'm talking about donation of an actual finish product. Is a report or ebook like a handmade wooden table, if there is a market value for the finished product?

When I worked for a charity some years ago, I did note that my boss did some sort of write off for donations of services by using some sort of definition of products. But I have no idea whether that was legit.

Note: If you're in the US, please note that your tax laws are different. I understand that, in the US, services can be donated at fair market value. But, in Canada, we can only donate products.

What is it like to be a volunteer victim advocate?

kathrineg — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 11:39:22 -0800

What is it like to be a volunteer victim advocate? I am looking for personal experiences or descriptions of what it is like to be a volunteer victim advocate on an Emergency basis, not on an ongoing basis. Thank you.

Lessons from the Obama campaign

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:15:39 -0800

Looking for best infodumps, narratives, archives, and analyses of Barack Obama's successful campaign for election, with a focus on volunteers and fundraising. I know the number one thing leading to the campaign's success was one standard, general issue Barack H. Obama, so just assume I have a candidate, issue or idea that has a chance, that is a bit different, that is controversial yet also popular, that can be identified with hope and change. An Obama it is not, of course, but I think it's worth exploring Obama's campaign and seeing what can be taken away, because my orthodox methods are not working worth shit right now.

Insights I need most include:

- The development of the messaging the campaign used, particularly at the local and special interest group level, to recruit and motivate the fantastic numbers of field volunteers, particularly the ones that never knocked doors/delivered leaflets/made voter phone calls before. I'm also interested in getting volunteers that have never worked with a political party before.

- Insights into organisational strategies / campaign management strategies/other methods or resources that helped to lead to and sustain the huge number of volunteers.

- The development of the messaging and the organisational strategies used to recruit hundreds of small scale and repeat fundraisers, both online and offline.

Besides looking for narratives elsewhere online, I'm also interested in your lessons from experience campaigning, either from the top or from the ground. What worked as a call to action for you? I need people to be as inspired to work hard as I am, and I need a lot of new people to get to the scale I need. Even if these tactics are nowhere near as successful as they were for Obama, any reasonable rate of return on the time and resources invested here would give us an edge.

We have an awesome, awesome computer system to organise our field work, we just need more people power and more money.

I am aware that these methods go back to Dean and Before, so non-Obama stuff is ok too of course.

I can't give a lot of details of specifics here, but if you have advice or questions you would like to share you can send them to battycampaignmanager@gmail.com

Thanks very much for your help. This is a frightening and overwhelming experience but it's also a wonderful one. I've never wanted something to succeed as much as this in my entire professional life.

Girl Power!

boulder20something — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:10:27 -0800

What can a group of women do to add some fulfillment to their lives? My group of friends, all in our early 30s or late 20s, some with families, all in relationships, are looking for a project or business we could do together. Something that could give us more purpose and an escape from the boredom that seems to creep into life when you settle into a routine. We all have various skills and live in the Boulder, CO area. Skills include: computer programming/database/web development; accounting; sales; marketing; design; event planning; real estate...

A few of us work from home, which can get boring without the companionship of coworkers, and others have kids which is great but can lead to the feeling of "is my life only about building blocks and alphabet games?" We got together last night and realized that we all have lately been feeling under utilized and "stuck" in our chosen places. We want to come up with some type of business opportunity that we could all contribute to, do some fund raising, or volunteer together.

Any ideas? How could a group of women with no experience of working on our own (we are all employed by others) get something started like this? How can we help? Who can we help?

don't mourn, organize!

kalimac — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:24:55 -0800

What can I do, while overseas, to help educate about/support/do something about the healthcare debate happening in the US? The situation: I'm a US citizen currently living in Wales, with virtually nothing to fill my time until, say, mid-September when school starts up again. Before going back to school, I worked for a company dedicated to anti-poverty work, with an emphasis on healthcare accessibility, so the current 'debate' (can you call it a debate when there isn't even a sensible counter-argument happening publically?) is somewhat near and dear to my heart.

I'd like to be able to do something, to educate, to support just...do something to channel the rage and the frustration and the wanting to do something to support the idea that health care is a basic human right. Except, not living in the US, I can't do calls, or go to town meetings, or do on-the-ground stuff.

So my question to hive mind -- is there anything I can do, essentially only via the internet? Something proactive, something that isn't just sitting around and bitching. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks much!

I'm a quitter.

SassHat — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:20:43 -0800

So I quit my job. Now what? Creative unemployment ideas, plz. Yes, I know it's INSANE to QUIT in this ECONOMY. I'm not asking about that. I'm not going to tell you my financial outlook other than to say, let it be. My sanity is way more valuable to me than the job was, so I'm on hiatus for a bit.

How should I use this indefinite stretch of "free" time? I need a break, but I also need structure (and money, if possible). Temporary or permanent relocation is on the table, and assume the freedom to live anywhere in the US or Canada, and willingness to travel. Limitless resources are not available but I am willing to invest in worthwhile experiences.

What I'd like to know is, now that I've given my two weeks' notice, what can I do in the time between now and...whenever I buckle down and get a day job again? I am especially interested in creative volunteer opportunities, or options which provide some income while still not being a traditional day job (ie: working tourist visa, etc).

Where can I find volunteer opportunities in SF?

firemonkey — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:19:38 -0800

Looking for interesting volunteer opportunities in San Francisco I really want to start volunteering, but am having trouble finding opportunities that 1) fit into my schedule and 2) fit into my interests.

I work a full time, 9-5 job Monday through Friday. With the exception of Saturday afternoons, my weekend is pretty open. That is ideally when I would like to volunteer.

I also find that a lot of organizations have some sort of training program you have to go through before you can start "working."
I would rather find something I could just jump into right away.

I am looking for something related to one of the following:

1) Music or fine arts

2) Animals (especially dogs!)

3) Adult ESL learners ( I tutored adult ESL students in college, and really enjoyed it.)

OK, Internets. Do your magic.

Work to be done?

puckish — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:41:58 -0800

I was excited about volunteering here -- now I'm just demoralized. How to get back on track and do something meaningful for the next two weeks I'm here? I'm living away from home for a month to work on a volunteer project with a group in Philadelphia that I like a whole lot. I'd planned this for awhile, and was really looking forward to it, but now it looks like things are kind of grinding to a halt, and I'm not sure whether to stick it out or just go.The project involves campaign / advocacy work, which I've never done before, but which I was excited to learn about.

I was set to come work on a project back in June, but there was a lot of miscommunication on the front end about what we were going to do, and when it was going to happen, --- compounded with not being able to find housing, and just having a lot of stuff happen in the meantime. I don't live in Philly or have any friends here, and am basically living off savings, which made the whole process really unpleasant and stressful

Basically, I wound up deciding to stay for less time (through July), and do a smaller scale project, since we got started a little late. I'm halfway through, and I feel like what I'm working on just doesn't matter very much. The person I'm working with has basically dropped all the stuff we were originally going to work on --- so now I'm checking in with someone on a project that kind of doesn't exist, and which is largely peripheral to the actual work that's going on. (It's basically emailing a bunch of people to get them to sign a letter to support a bill that's coming up for a vote -- but it's targeted to a pretty small group, and not so central to what's actually going on)

This is all well and good -- mostly, I wanted to come here to learn a little bit about the organization -- but I'd like to be helping out in a more direct way, since I'm here for another few weeks. I asked today if there was any more immediate campaign work that needed to be done that I could help with, and basically got blown off --- the woman I was going to be working with basically said they were going to handle things on their end --- which makes it even harder to justify being here, since there's no actual "work" to be done.

That's a long explanation. Any suggestions for how to fix this? Should I just go? I'm pretty lonely anyway, and not having any real work to do isn't making me crazy! Alternately, is there a better way to approach them, to figure out useful ways to be involved? I don't know anything about campaign work (that was kind of the point of me coming here) so I'm a little lost as to projects I can suggest --- any feedback would be helpful here!

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Help me find a short-term volunteer opportunity

hapax_legomenon — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:58:01 -0800

Can you steer me towards a short-term (40 hours) volunteer opportunity with kids in San Francisco during the next month? I know there are plenty of resources out there to find longer-term, ongoing volunteer opportunities but I'm looking for something very specific. I'd like to volunteer in San Francisco with kids - any age - for a week or so sometime during the next month. I can start on August 3 and need to wrap up by August 24.

Any Bay Area mefites that know of a camp or summer school situation that might welcome some additional help for a week or so? I'm interested in doing just about anything with an educational focus. Thanks.

How to travel and volunteer for a very first timer?

pixxie — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:49:17 -0800

My current volunteering gig is standing still, how do I search for a new one and be able to travel? I am a 26 year-old female living in Canada throughout much of my life. I have never traveled anywhere except moving from one province to another. In 2007, I obtained my BSci in Chemistry, then I decided to pursue something I truly want which is Nutrition and Physiology. Since last year, I have been volunteering @ this NGO with the hope that I would be “shipped off” somewhere to do humanitarian work. However, this NGO will NOT send any volunteers oversea and being a French (especially) and/or Spanish speaker is a plus for this fairly big organization. At the office, I perform mostly secretarial tasks such as being a webmaster for its website, using Illustrator CS3 to design icons for training modules, etc. In spite of meeting some wonderful people in the office and doing something I enjoy on the side, I get very very bumped out every now and then. Why? Because what I wish to do is to volunteer with regard to global nutrition, not doing clerical tasks that are identical to my job @ school. In addition, it is also a personal reason. I have spent the past 8 years always worrying/stressing about money and student loans (I receive zero contribution from my parents), such that I never get to enjoy much of my summer or life rather. Instead of just moping around, I really want to make some changes NOW. Therefore, I really need some step-by-step advice as to where to start:

1) Is everyone volunteering for NGOs always multilingual? What other organizations can you recommend to me that will emphasize more on my education background (I don’t want to teach English or get some random jobs just for the sake of “seeing the world”, I want to help the underprivileged), rather strictly based on what languages I can speak?

2) Starting in September, I plan on taking some Spanish classes @ the YMCA. In the meantime, I want to get a head-start in the next few weeks before school starts so that I can become more familiar with the language. I honestly don’t expect to grasp a new language overnight, but if I keep this up, do you believe I will have the adequate background to converse semi-fluently by the end of April?

3) Like I mentioned earlier, I am a total noob when it comes to traveling, thus I don’t want to shop around and try to learn everything any person can possibly know about cheap airfares, restaurants, etc. I decided Argentina is where I want to go. With this focus in mind, where can I find the best site (e.g. blogs?) that is not only there to discuss about the country’s hot destinations, but is also informative as to HOW to travel for a clueless person like me?

4) Money is a major issue for me. Trying to support myself throughout the school terms and saving for the trip can be challenging. Hence, I need to set some sort of a goal to get myself motivated. How much money do you think I need to save prior the trip? Is $4000 CDN enough?

4) Is anyone here familiar with Idealist.org or has had participated for this organization? What are some of your thoughts about it? Pros and cons?

How can I tell which NGO is best for volunteering abroad?

tybeet — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:48:26 -0800

How can I tell which NGO is best for volunteering abroad? I know that some NGOs are better than others. For example I know War Child is good because they keep administrative costs low, focus on important problems, and have no religious affiliation (my personal preference). As to how to find out which ones are good, like this, I'm a little lost.

For a long time I've been wanting to volunteer abroad. My original idea was to work at a family owned orphanage in India but I have since lost my contact with that home. India was a good choice for me because I've had an interest in the culture and it was a plus that many people speak English there (between living in Japan and Quebec I've learned that I'm not very good at learning languages). I'd work with War Child but my mom has asked that I stay out of war zones and I guess I've given her enough anxiety over the years.

My advantages: I will have my BA in Psychology. I have clinical experience working at a rehab, and with children with autism.

My disadvantages: I'm not great with heat or hard labour, but I'm working on it. I only have one year before grad school to both save up the money to go and do the actual volunteering.

I'm currently in Canada and am flexible about where and the exact nature of the volunteer work, but a relationship to mental health would be a plus (pretty much any work with people is good). Can you tell me anything about how to tell which organizations are good or give me a suggestion if you know a place that sounds like a good fit? If anyone has firsthand experience I'd also like to hear that as well, thanks!

Creating a small library for a non-profit

andendau — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:29:18 -0800

Looking for resources on creating a small library for a non-profit company I am currently a MLIS student and for the summer break I found a volunteer opportunity with a non-profit to assist them in creating a library. I have quite a few texts but nothing that involves a step by step guideline to assessing a variety of media and organizing it. I am interested in helping this organization set up a scaffold so that material Is accesible and available through an OPAC and would make it easy for a novice to come in and add new materials. I found a few older threads that had similar information but mostly on the OPAC side and not on getting started. Any input would be welcome.