Tag Archives: volunteer

Finding the True Meaning of Christmas

My 8-year-old has a severe case of the Christmas gimmies.  Unfortunately, I have myself to blame for her very unmerry malady. Whereas I am by no means showering the kid with pre-holiday presents, I haven’t been doing a very good job focusing on the “reason for the season” either. I’ve been swept into the chaotic tsunami that is the month of December.  Gifts to buy, wrap and mail; cookies to bake, decorate and distribute; cards to take photos for, write and stamp; and the list goes on and on. As a parent, it’s easy to get caught up in the … Continue reading →

CASA

What is CASA? CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Far too many children each year are removed from their homes through no fault of their own. I can’t even begin to imagine the terror a child must feel when a stranger shows up to take him to stay with other strangers. Then there’s a never ending parade of more strangers. Those strangers can consist of police, caseworkers, judges, doctors, therapists, attorneys, teachers, social workers, foster homes, and more. It’s enough to make my head spin. CASA was developed to be a calm in the storm. CASA is made up … Continue reading →

Genealogy Volunteerism

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There are many ways to better yourself at genealogy. One way is to volunteer your services to others. There are several ways for a genealogist to volunteer. Genealogical or Historical Societies Many (if not all) historical and genealogical societies need volunteers to help keep them going. Volunteer opportunities at these organizations may be helping visitors with their genealogical research, working in the administrative offices, cleaning, gardening, filing, etc. Transcribe Data for Genealogy Trails If you have access to non-copywritten genealogical records, and the time to transcribe them, you may want to consider hosting a state or county on Genealogy Trails. … Continue reading →

How to Give When You Are on A Budget

Just because finances are tight doesn’t meant that you have to give up on giving. Here are some strategies to help you make the most impact within limited means. Play favorites Really take the time to concentrate your charitable efforts. Instead of giving a little to many charities, focus on one or two that really resonate with you and your family. Not only will this make a bigger impact to your chosen charities, but you will probably get to know the causes better than if you spread your money around every time there is a candy fundraiser, car wash or … Continue reading →

Behind Every Good Man…

Recently I wrote about 87 year old volunteer, Cyril Brown. Don’t you wonder what this guy would be like in a marriage? Would he be so involved with others that he doesn’t have time or make time for his spouse? Or would he be the kind of guy who helps out at home and is looking for ways to serve his wife? It made me wonder. We’ve heard the adage about ‘behind every good man there’s a good woman.’ Is it true in this case? Maybe Cyril hasn’t got a wife. That’s why he spends so much time helping others. … Continue reading →

Voluntourism Goes High End

I’ve discussed this travel trend in previous blogs, but the buzz surrounding philanthropic vacations is getting even louder now that big spenders are joining in on the fad. An increasing amount of travelers with deep pockets (a.k.a. “luxury consumers”) are embracing the idea of being socially responsible at vacation hot spots the world over, according to a new study. If you happen to be one of the many high-end tripsters looking to give back to a community that you’re visiting you will be delighted to know Ritz-Carlton has your back (as in backbreaking work followed by a full back massage). … Continue reading →

Where To Go On Your Guilt Free Vacation

It’s the perfect vacation for do-gooders… volunteer tourism packages. Studies show the voluntourism trend is booming. In my previous blog I detailed why so many people are opting to bypass sipping tropical libations on a secluded island for a week to grab a hammer and raise a roof for those in need. In this blog I will list some of the more reputable voluntourism programs available to you. One thing to remember about voluntourism packages is that you don’t have to sacrifice luxury simply because you choose to share your time and talents helping those in need. You can become … Continue reading →

A Guilt-Free Vacation

Vacation guilt. For most of us indulging in that extra slice of cheesecake on our Caribbean cruise or neglecting to slather enough sunscreen on our children would be examples of vacation guilt. But for others, spending a week of vacation sipping tropical libations while lying on powder soft sand on an island in the Pacific instead of building homes for those less fortunate is what truly constitutes as vacation guilt. If you fall into the aforementioned altruistic category you may be thrilled to hear that you are in good company. In fact, you are in the company of so many … Continue reading →

Summer is a Great Time for Volunteer Work

Now that we are hitting the mid-way point of the summer vacation season, some families may find that boredom is setting in. As the temperature climbs, and kids have exhausted all sorts of other options, it might be hard to find things to keep people busy. Taking the focus off leisure and play, summer can be the perfect time for kids to do volunteer work and projects and get involved with the community in a meaningful way… Cleaning up trash, doing renovations, painting, cleaning, etc. are all typical volunteer projects that take place in the summer, but there are other … Continue reading →

Starting A Shelter: How Are You Doing?

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Running a shelter is not an easy job. There will be hard days and depressing days. There will be happy days and triumphs. You’ll spend a lot of hours sweating over your finances or cleaning kennels. You may be witness to cruel mistreatment of animals. You’re going to encounter a lot more doggy doo and kitty poop than ever before. So how do you objectively assess the success (or failure) of your shelter? The shelter leaders and board of directors are responsible for seeing your mission statement come to life. If you aren’t fulfilling your mission, then something may need … Continue reading →