I'M A SONIC BOOMER: Volunteering?

From the time I started to work in education, I became a volunteer. I was a volunteer coach, tutor, union rep, organizer, etc. When I retired, I continue to volunteer. It is an important part of who I am and what I do. Volunteering is the time I give to strengthen my community and improve others’ quality of life as well as my own. There are so many ways to be involved in the community that I don’t understand why so few volunteers. You can find volunteering opportunities that:

· Speak to your passion

· Suit your personality

· Meet your interests

· Build on your experiences

· Fit into your lifestyle

· Contribute to your health and well-being

You may be at a point in your life when you do not want to take on any more responsibility or you may be in a position to take charge. There is a wide spectrum of volunteer opportunities available to suit a range of interests and circumstances.

You can volunteer…

· From home

· In an office

· In a garden Overseas

· With family and friends

· On your own

· Just in the summer

· Once a year Every day

· Now, later Short-term,

· longer-term, ongoing,

· or occasionally

The possibilities Combine volunteering with other things that are important in your life such as:

· Time with family (volunteer with

· your family or in your

· grandchildren’s school)

· Travelling (joining an international development project overseas)

· LEADERSHIP Facilitate a strategic planning session Serve on a Board or Committee Chair a fundraising campaign Help start a tenants’ rights association

· MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION Review a Human Resources Manual Organize a volunteer schedule for an event Enter data at a resource centre Provide general office help

· TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA Design a website for an elder-care co-op Write a blog on affordable housing Customize a donor database for a food bank Teach computer skills in a community centre

· BUILDING AND HANDICRAFTS Build a bookshelf for a reading room Sew costumes for a play Teach card-making in a rehabilitation centre Build a stage for marathon ceremonies

What type of volunteering can I do?

· NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT Walk a dog for a local animal shelter Research pesticide bylaws in different cities Plant vegetables in a community garden

· ONE-TO-ONE SUPPORT Tutor children Comfort a victim of violence Be a mentor to a teen Coach an executive director

· DIRECT SERVICE Answer the phones for a helpline Prepare lunch in a soup kitchen Coach a team Drive people to medical appointments

· ENTERTAINMENT Play piano for a sing-a-long at a retirement residence MC at a volunteer service awards night Do a stand-up comedy act at a fundraiser Join a choir that entertains at community events Spending time with friends (get a group together to plan a special event) Hobbies (teach puppet-making in a community centre) Recreation (be a swimming buddy for someone with a disability)

In addition to the valuable contribution you make to the community, volunteering has been proven to have many benefits for you as a volunteer:

· Opportunities to Learn new skills Expand horizons Maintain or establish a sense

· of belonging Expand social and business contacts Stay active

· Reduction of Stress, anxiety, depression Low self-esteem Social isolation Stress-related illness

· Volunteering and retirement planning

· Volunteering can play a key role at every stage but it can also serve as a way to help you through transitions, such as retirement. Volunteering can contribute to your quality of life today and allow you to create a legacy for the future.

Whether your transition or retirement involves a change in your household, neighbourhood, health situation, employment status, or daily schedule, volunteering can make your days both meaningful and satisfying in new ways.

Volunteering can connect you to your community, help you maintain your skills or develop new skills, and allow you to participate in the democratic process. Through volunteering, you can help shape and preserve the society you want to live in—for yourself and for generations to come.

www.getvolunteering.ca

How to find the right volunteer opportunity:

Start by asking yourself the following questions:

· What matters to me?

· What skills and experiences do

· I want to share or develop?

· What setting would be best for me?

· Are there others I know who might

· like to volunteer together?

· What are the challenges and issues in my community, country, in the world?

Take the Volunteer Quiz and get some ideas of what might suit your interests, skills, and personality.

www.getinvolved.ca