Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine September 2017 | Page 34

By: Shelia Thorne Project Lead GardenKids of Kemah [email protected] When we give to others, the most common image that comes to mind is giving online or a Go Fund me page. And with all the wonderful causes, be it great community groups such as nonprofits and our local religious house of worship, there is no shortage of worthy causes. I want you to consider another way to magnify your impact to help others. Consider volunteering. The saying that "Time is money", is true for worthy causes as well. Volunteering benefits both the individual or group Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial gain "to benefit another person, group or organization" Source (Wilson, John (2000).  "Volunteering". Annual Review of Sociology ) Don’t be put off by time commitment. There are one-time volunteering opportunities that are available weekends, holidays or other non-work hours. You can also volunteer virtually either online or remotely. Think editing a press release in my Pajamas while enjoying my favorite frappe drink at 9pm at night. Explore volunteering Resist the temptation to volunteer with the first group that you approach. Take the time to see what area of interest you care about. If your thing is literacy, maybe you want to volunteer at a library or a school. Same thing applies if you like animals, consider a shelter. You can do so many things such as walk dogs, help set up for a pet adoption event, or even fostering a pet. My passion is the environment, so I work with volunteers to ensure that our youth actually see and taste where their food comes from at the seed to Table activities at Gardenkids of Kemah. Great places to start learning about volunteer opportunities and the organizations that need help are the local newspapers, volunteer groups online and volunteer meet and greet Fairs. On Thursdays, The Daily News has a weekly feature with volunteer opportunities. Now that you have a overview of volunteering, the next article will discuss the different types of volunteering available. Remember there is something for everyone no matter what your schedule or stage of life.