Want To Volunteer? Here Are The Easiest Ways To Get Started

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank

One of the hardest parts of volunteering for the first time is deciding where to start.

Child hunger? Poverty? Gang violence? Teen pregnancy? Immigration? Endangered species?

The issues are as endless as the opportunities to serve.  A lot of people who haven’t started volunteering yet are intimidated by the infinite choices, but this shouldn’t keep you from jumping in.  You don’t have to decide on a ‘cause’ before you choose a place to volunteer.  Experiment!  If you’re not a regular volunteer, try helping out at some local nonprofits.  See what moves you.  What organization needs the most help?  Where can you make the biggest contribution?  Do this before you choose one issue you want to focus your volunteer efforts on.  As Anne Frank mentioned, there’s no need to wait until you find the ‘right’ cause for you.

Once you figure out what issue you want to focus on, there’s an invetiable question you’ll come across: Is bigger always better with giving to others?

When it comes to chocolate, my answer is a resounding “Yes!”.

But with service that’s not always the case.  Those small acts of kindness can make all the difference in the world.  Service is not just about volunteering every Saturday afternoon.  Service is an everyday ethos of treating others well and leading a good life.  Some of the most impactful actions you can take might only take a couple minutes.  The other day when I was at the post office, I had five packages to mail and my hands were overloaded.  A gentleman several decades older than I am offered to help bring the packages to the counter.  His kind smile and practical help relieving my burdened back was a great type of service.  It made all the difference in my day.  It didn’t even require a donation or an hour of his time.  I was sincerely grateful!

What can you do today, even if it’s something small?

“Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”  -Edmund Burke