Have you ever considered volunteering your time to a cause you feel strongly about?
Most people think of volunteering as a way to give back to a community. And it is. But what people who haven't done volunteer work don't seem to know is that the volunteer gets much more out of the deal than the community they're working with.
Volunteer work is a great way to network and meet other people who are interested in the same things you are.
Volunteering gives you a really great warm fuzzy feeling from knowing you are providing a necessary service.
Volunteer work tends to move you out of your comfort zone. It puts you in touch with a sector of society you wouldn't normally experience. And the vast majority of people are pleasantly surprised by what they discover through this interaction.
And most importantly, volunteer work shows you your true mettle. Often, organizations that rely on volunteers are underfunded and badly understaffed. As a volunteer, you might sign up to do a specific job, but out of desperation your coordinator will ask you to pitch in on several other projects. And since you're there to help, you do it. You push your boundaries to make things happen. You have the motivation to take on extra tasks because you know there's no one else to do it. You learn new things, you expand your horizons, and you realize that you can do more than you ever realized.
In the course of your volunteer project, you stop thinking that you're there to help others. You start seeing yourself as part of the community in which you're working: no longer the benevolent benefactor, you're grateful for what you are receiving from the relationship. Of course, you are still participating in a useful, and often vital, role. The community is benefitting from your efforts. But you realize that you're the one who's gotten the long end of that stick.
So much work in our world can be accomplished through volunteer work. Environmental initiatives, construction and reconstruction of houses for the homeless, women's issues and empowerment, education, food for the hungry, the list goes on. And on.
In this blog I will frequently highlight different volunteer opportunities. Many will be directly related to being green- animal conservation, reef conservation, projects to reduce our carbon footprint, and the like. But not all. I think to be truly green, we need to concern ourselves with the health of the entire planet, and that includes the people living on and sharing it with us. So when you read my blog expounding on an orphanage project in Colombia, don't wonder why I'm talking about it on a green website. Simply expand your concept of green.
If people can't care for themselves, they can't care for the planet. Let's help them do both.

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