

Ask HN: Do you volunteer for any community activity? Where? How? - codedivine

Hello HN. I was just wondering whether you volunteer for any community activities? Say at a school or a hospital or say maintaining community buildings or help with cleaning or anything really.<p>Just asking to get some ideas because I want to spend some outside of my room, away from the computer, while working on something of value to the community. Earlier I did help some NGOs with their websites but this time I want to go do something not related to computers :)<p>Share your experiences here!
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skowmunk
A couple of years ago, there were heavy floods in the city I live in, many
homes in the low lying areas got severely affected. There was a lot of
community activity in organizing help for those whose houses got affected. I
participated in them - tore up walls and floors that got wet, crawled under
mobile homes and removed insulation, helped people move stuff.

Another time, I participated in a school kids career counseling event (it was
a one day event)

For quite some time, I used to attend the meetings of a local NGO involved
with energy conservation. Helped them collect over 200 signatures for a
petition. The petition was presented to the Governor of Indiana for increasing
energy efficiency of government buildings. I think I was the highest or the
second highest collector of signatures.

Also helped them a bit with their website - back then my skills were too basic
though.

I also keep cheerleading my mom :). She helps a few kids with their
school/college education. There have been times when some abuse those good
intentions and trust and she gets disappointed. I keep telling her to soldier
on (not that she can't without me telling) and that these are opportunities to
learn how to select better.

I wish I could participate more often. Hopefully, once my goals are on track
and self-sustainable...

~~~
codedivine
Thanks for your reply. No disasters here currently (thankfully) but I will
check out energy efficiency related groups here. Hmm, can you explain "helps a
few kids with their school/college education"? Do you mean financially or do
you mean teaching or something else?

~~~
skowmunk
No, she doesn't have the patience to teach them personally! :)

It was financial.

Its basically the kids of people who work at their house (the government
provides them to my dad), of very low income employees in my dad's office and
such. She has also funded the education of a few distant relatives who
couldn't afford college education. In these cases, the kids had aspirations,
some of them were real good hard workers, but the parents were in a really bad
position financially. They could not afford to fund good tutoring (which is
required for entrance into decent technical colleges here) or fund the college
education itself.

She funded their kids' annual tutoring or college fees for the duration of
that tutoring or college degrees.

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joystickers
One of my new years resolutions for 2010 was to volunteer and help a stranger.
Living in Chicago, I went to www.chicago-cares.org and tried two different
events. 1) Read to kids at a battered women's shelter. 2) Worked at a food
pantry.

I had wanted to do something like that for years, but was unsure of how I
could actually help. It turns out that you don't need any special skills to
help someone. All you need is a little time. Working at the battered women's
shelter was a great experience. I got to see how just being present meant the
world to someone who didn't even know me. Working at the food pantry was
another eye opener and gave me a different perspective on things.

I also gave blood for the first time at Lifesource. That was pretty cool and
didn't take very long.

Check out www.idealist.org for a nationwide search on volunteer opportunities.

Goodluck!

~~~
skowmunk
Right, there are many online sites where one can sign up. They keep sending
e-mails to inform you of opportunities to sign up for volunteering activities.

When I was in FL I had signed up here <http://www.metromin.org/>

I still keep getting emails about these activities.

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aspir
I help with a youth community center. Our "big project" is a weekly
funtime/dinner where we pick up kids from the Section 8 housing complexes and
take them to the center. We get food donations from Panera Bread (great
organization) to send home with them. We also have video games and some non
high tech games so they can just be kids. A lot of the kids don't get to be
kids in their situation. We'll sometimes have kids come to us and say things
like "my dad told me to come to this so I could have a big hot dinner." I hope
to never have to tell my son or daughter that, then send them out on a bus/van
with a stranger.

It really puts things into perspective. As fulfilling as hacking and
entrepreneurship is, sometimes getting free bread matters more.

~~~
codedivine
That is interesting. Maybe I should check with the local youth center(s?) too
if I can help in some way.

~~~
aspir
It invigorates you like none other. Steve Jobs is known for religious-like
energy in his actions, and helping out with programs that make a difference,
even if they're secular creates that level of commitment and energy. It's
exciting.

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brudgers
A service club such as Kiwanis, Lions, or Rotary is one way to help address
needs in your local community and to participate in larger initiatives such as
Rotary's Polio Plus.

[http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/Polio/Pages/ri...](http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/Polio/Pages/ridefault.aspx?housead)

Service clubs also provide an excuse toget away from the office and meet
people active in civic life.

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codedivine
Thanks for all the answers folks! I have now applied to a mental health
institute and waiting for their answer :)

