Do you do volunteer work?

[dot-matrix]

Do you do volunteer work? Or: have you done volunteer work?

Yes, I use to volunteer for the local bar associations Lawyer Referral Service offering free legal assistance to people who cannot afford a consultation with an attorney.  These days I volunteer at my local Library's Literacy Program.  Myself and another woman work, one evening a week with a group of 5 women learning to read.  Bob and I also donate 2 Saturday mornings a month to the local animal shelter on their adoption weekends.

What do you do exactly?

Teach word recognition & phonetics to help people learn to read. 

bath and present new puppies and kittens as well as mature dogs and cats to prospect new families

How long have you been doing this?

Years

What do you like about volunteer work?

It's veru satisfying to think you might have helped someone achieve a better quality of life, either by increasing their self esteem and their cognitive abilites or by helping to provide them with a companion animal and all the unconditional love that goes with it.

If you have a paid job / or are a fulltime mother/father too, how do you fit it in your daily life?

Careful planning.  I limit my shelter days to Saturdays because it must be done during the day.  But the literacy work is done after working hours and with my husband's unqualified encouragement.  He answers phones at the student help desk and crises center at his school on the eveing I volunteer, he is the only professor who does.  If we had a child I would have a sitter for this one evening a week because I think it is important for children to see their parents giving back to the community.

[MaineWriter]

What do you mean by work for commission? What kind of work do you do?

I believe Truman is a real estate agent. He makes a commission on the houses/property he sells.

L

[mvansand76]

I believe Truman is a real estate agent. He makes a commission on the houses/property he sells.

L

Oh, OK, Thanks! 

[Kelda]

Do you do volunteer work? Or: have you done volunteer work?

In university I was in the uni RAG team. which is the charities grop raising money for good causes. I really really enjoyed that. At the moment I am treasurer for my brass band - I volunteered for that and help organise the brass band but I have a hidden agenda there as in the end it benefits me as the band keeps going and I get to enjoy playing music.

I did volunteer to be a meals on wheel person in my local area with the VWS year ago about a but because i work in the city, I could only do dinner time and weekends and apparently they don't provide meals on wheels at night or on weekends. So that didn't work out. I could have helped man the shop at the local hospital - but i wanted to do something where I interacted with people more fully.

I keep meaning to try and find some other way to volunteer in the local area but I never quite get round to it - life takes over but everyone else seems to be managing which puts me to shame. Perhaps this thread will get me moving.

What do you like about volunteer work?

I think its the feel good factor me is definitely a motivator - it certainly has been in my fundraising activities. But I wanted to take on the meals on wheels because I wanted to make a direct difference to people's life and perhaps give someone a listener, someone to chat to.

If you have a paid job / or are a fulltime mother/father too, how do you fit it in your daily life?

I need to make time - because unless you do..... there aint ever enough time, never enough time becomes the mantra, doesn't it.

Does anyone have any tips about possible internet sites which may give me an idea of what I might be able to get involved in, in my local area?

[Dobie1018]

Do you do volunteer work?
Yes - with my dogs.  They are certified therapy dogs, and we go to nursing homes, rehab centers, hospitals, and other places to cheer up the patients.
What you you do exactly?
I belong to our local therapy dog club, and we take our dogs (one dog per handler) to scheduled visits to local facilities.  Our calendar has visits scheduled practically every weekday of the month, and several weekend visits, and we have a waiting list of facilities that want to have us visit, but at the time we don't have enough dog/handler teams to cover them.  We go into the facility, and generally walk from room to room, letting our dogs interact with with patients.
How long have you been doing this?
For about 15 years now at least. 
What do you like about volunteer work?
I like to see the patients' faces light up when I go into a room with my dog, and they get to pet them and talk to them.  Some people are so depressed or ill or mentally unstable, they don't utter a word to other people, but when then see the dogs come in, it's all different.  They open up to the dogs, talk to them, and try to communicate with them.  It's so heartwarming to see people who haven't uttered a sound to anyone in months, trying to talk to, hug or kiss our dogs.  Dogs are so non-judgmental - they don't care what people look like or what disabilities they may have; just a pat on the head or a kind word is all it takes for them to be overjoyed and happy to be near you. 
If you have a paid job, how do you fit it into your daily life?
Yes, I have a full time job, am single, and live alone (with my 3 dogs and 2 cats) and it is difficult to find the time to get my dogs ready to go on a therapy visit.  The visits I do are mostly weekend visits or special request visits.

[Kelda]

That is so cool! Is it only dogs or can other animals be therapy animals?

[Dobie1018]

I've heard of therapy rabbits, cats and ferrets, but our group, Space Coast Therapy Dogs, is only dogs.  Some of the facilities have a resident cat that lives at the facility that wanders around that is cared for by the residents.  Pretty cool.

[Kelda]

bumping some old threads