Volunteering is always a great idea, for a bored housewife or anyone who has some time and wants to give back. What I’ve found from my volunteering experiences is that sometimes, most times, I feel like I get more out of it than I give, but hopefully I’m able to help a little.
When my kids were younger I loved volunteering in their classrooms. One time when my youngest was in elementary school I was helping prepare the kids for their spelling test. Well, the teacher came up to me and very nicely asked if I could work on something else because my New York accent was confusing those little Ohioans!! I happily worked on math with another group but guess what, I still have the accent!
Once my kids got older I had to look elsewhere for volunteer opportunities. Some places to volunteer include hospitals, religious organizations, nursing homes, schools, animal rescues/shelters, local libraries, museums, and food pantries. There are so many opportunities; think about what you’re interested in and go from there!
For a while I was volunteering for long term projects such as reading with children at a monthly book club. Whenever I was with these children I would laugh as they told me about their siblings, their pets, or whatever else they could think of, the more outrageous the better. Sometimes they would talk and talk, anything to distract us from the fact that they hadn’t read the book. They were so funny and our time together was anything but boring! However, often it was hard for me to make each meeting and I felt bad if I missed a session so I decided that “done in a day” volunteer opportunities work better for me. These are activities that don’t require a long term commitment and if I’m free that day perfect, but if I can’t commit I know I’m not letting anyone down. Some done in a day activities I’ve volunteered for include packing up toiletries for foster children, stuffing and sewing pillows for breast cancer patients, and visiting hotels and motels to alert staff to missing individuals and educate them regarding human trafficking. I also love volunteering with foster children and young adults as we work to build their self esteem and help them set goals. Like I said before, I feel like I get more out of it than I give, but hopefully I’m helping a little.
The one thing I know is that whenever and wherever I’m volunteering I am never bored!
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