Harmony Through Service: Getting Involved in Small but Meaningful Ways

[Karasayl]

I love to help people but often Ive found that its been hard finding local opportunities with my schedule. While I understand not everyone here is from the same country, I signed up for the Presidential Outstanding Service program and have found it to be a greay resource for finding new activities to help beit maintaining a hiking nature trail, becomming a parking attendant at a community sponsored event, or tutoring high school kids. I also found that due to my crazy schedule I cant participate in as much as Id like (missing a cancer walk this weekend :( ), but I find getting into local fraternal organizations like the eagles, elks, moose, ruritans, knights of columbus, etc. helps a lot. I often work in charity bingos with thw Knights of Pythias to raise money for various causes- it only requires a few hours and is both easy and flexible. Currently my big cause is Paws and People for Wounded Warriors, a charity that raises/provides/and trains great danes as support service animals for some veterans whom can have inkuries or suffering from PTSD.

[Daruya]

Great Danes as service dogs? That's a lot of dog! It's a great cause, though. A local mom, whose son was wounded in Afghanistan, started a Wounded Warriors Retreat (http://warriorbeachretreat.org) locally. It's been taking place for at least a couple years now. The soldiers and their wives or parents or caretaker come here for a (free to them) long weekend. You should see all the people lined up along the route they take from the resort to the main event venue! They are waving to the soldiers, and holding up signs and flags. My boys and I were among the "wavers" last year and we actually had one wife roll her window down to thank us for supporting them. It really means a lot to them.

 

wheeloftime13, I googled "cat rescue Virginia" and got quite a few results. Here's one of them: http://www.catsrule.org/. And another: http://www.homewardtrails.org/ I didn't get a chance to read through the sites so I don't know what procedures, if any, exist to help those who find and try to help stray/feral cats, but hopefully you can get some good information from the sites or the sites' organizers.

 

Anyone who wants to list a cause they believe in is welcome to post a link to resources (local or international) for that cause, whether it's providing or training service dogs, participating in pet therapy (taking pets to nursing homes/hospitals/etc.), search and rescue, etc.

 

Some of you may know that an old friend of mine is battling cancer - and is in the last stages. She's in the hospital right now, as they found she had 2 blood clots in her lung and 1 in her hip. Yesterday (or was it Sunday?), a therapy singer came to her room with his guitar and sang to her and her family and it was so very much appreciated! So if you have any musical talent, this is an option you might consider!

 

The initial list mentioned being a "secret pal" to someone. I think most of us could think of someone who know, or know of, who is going through a tough time. You may not be able to send money or gifts or food, but even a note letting them know that you empathize with their struggle and that you hope things improve for them soon could help give them an emotional boost. Why? Because then they know that someone CARES!

[kukasö]

We speak mostly about cases when people absolutely need our help. That's most important of course.

 

But there are ways to help those people in general.

 

I take part in Couchsurfing project http://www.couchsurfing.org/. It's the community of people all around the world that helps you travel, discover the world, see other cultures through eyes of local people.

 

Couchsurfing makes the world smaller and friendlier. That's as if you have friends all over the world who can make you feel at home in any city.

You can travel to different countries and stay at homes of local people or host some travelers yourself. And they’ll share with you their traveling experience or cook something of local cuisine or tell stories about their travels or teach you something.

 

You can share all kind of things: have a coffee together, explore the city together with local people, go to picnics, have dance classes, go camping together, share a ride from one city to another, have a language exchange and all other kind of things.

 

I’ve hosted one girl from Hungary and shown Moscow to several people. That was very interesting. You feel that you have friends all over the world who come to you and tell stories, share their experience. I hope to travel with couchsurfing myself some day.

 

And I think it’s important not only for those who travel in such a way but it create a general atmosphere of caring for other people and sharing in general, friendliness to people from very different countries and cultures. I think it’s very important in nowadays world

[WildTaltos]

I do help when it is not needed, but I didn't mention it because it seemed i guss not so relevant as help ing someone who really needs it. I am a volunteer for the community library (well, I am part of a religious society that maeks volunteer hours like it mandatory if you want to stay in it, but...) so when I am home, I usually give 3 hours a day on weekday as a volunteer and sometimes as much as 8 hours going late into the night. I also alwys help set up festivals, liek making and putting up decorations and pulling out tables and chairs or anything else, then in a festival, I will do a lot of things, like play music or sing for part of the entertainmen. Things like that. They are good things to do, but i feel like I do more when I give someone who is hungry a crate full of jarred food or someone with tattred clothes a sack with some shirt and pants in it.

[Wayward_fool]

Oh, I forgot... yeah I do carolling at hospitals and old folks homes. *lol* And it's ALMOST CHRISTMAS. So yeah, we're gathering the group and all and starting to contact our usual places. In Singapore, alot of different groups do it, so you sometimes don't have available slots. But it's nice to bring a little christmas cheer to the wards.

 

I USED to visit old folks homes, but... sadly I'm not very good at the talking and chit chatting (I'm actually an introvert) so, in the end I decided to stick with things that I'm good with and can actually provide for. I'm not very good at chatting with strangers...

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Pet therapy: nursing homes, hospitals (where allowed).

 

You know its funny, my kitten is used for this. We taught her to walk on a leash and we have her hooked up into a harness and she's learning to ride in the car okay. She is so pretty and loving that she's excellent for hanging out with the people who need her. She's so dainty with everything she does that its kind of funny when she jumps up to let someone pet her. *laughs* Sometimes though she doesn't like being in a new place so occasionally she doesn't work out, but generally she's good.

[Elgee]

Oh my word you can train kitties to do that? I did not know that! Now that is something I would love to do.

[Daruya]

Elgee, I've even seen bunnies on leashes! For that matter, the bunny I had years ago used to have a harness, though he never really learned to walk (hop?) on leash. He was litter box trained, though (till my room mate's sister's cat who was staying with us at the time decided she liked his litter box better than hers; once she started using it, he stopped using it and started using the floor under the dining room table instead . . . *sigh*). Of course, that same cat also decided she liked to use my bed as a litter box . . . I was never so glad as when we got my roomie's sister to take her cat back.

 

I was a founding member of the Omega Phi Alpha (service sorority) chapter at my university and we had several projects we participated in, from trash pick-up at Chewacla Lake to visiting nursing/retirement homes to vounteering at the local animal shelter, and so on.

 

Boopsy, I'm like you with not feeling comfortable just walking up to strangers and talking. My husband is the extrovert of the family! That said, we have participated as a family with our church small group, going to nursing and/or assisted living homes to sing, chat, give manicures (to the ladies, of course), etc. I'm still not good at going up to the residents and starting a conversation but I do love to sing! And I get such a blessing watching the tween and teen girls sit down and give manicures to the ladies, who are just so tickled by the attention and "prettifying!"

[kukasö]

Taltos, of course it's not so important as help poor, old or ill. But it makes the worl a little bit better in it's own way

And when you help somebody even if it's not absolutely necessary I think it encourage them to help others in their turn.

 

Boopsy, oh! That's so great when so many people want to help!

 

Oh! I always think if my dog is calm enough to take her to the hospital to use her in pet therapy. We often meet children or old people who want to pet her in the streets. But I'm not sure people in the hospital will be more happy or frightened because she is rather big

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Oh my word you can train kitties to do that? I did not know that! Now that is something I would love to do.

Yes you can. There are certain types of cats which are better for training then others, my kitten is actually really easy to train. I'm told that is more because of her breed then anything. I don't know how true that is but there you go.

[Elgee]

That is just so awesome *grins*

[Wayward_fool]

Actually, it's pretty nice when carolling groups meet in wards and exchange songs and stuff. I mean, yeah, it's really a nice feeling.

 

Mostly I just like to sing. And if it makes someone feel better... hurrah!

[Wildfire Sedai]

I volunteer at an elementary school. I don't have too much interaction with the kids however I am helping the teachers out with copying, collating, and stapling papers for the kids. It is a lot of fun. though I have to admit it can get tedious at times also but thats because i am doing the same ting week after week. I am starting it on 10/25 as I have appointments every thursday in october. this particular thursday it is in the afternoon.

 

I have also in the past worked in what was called "operation santa claus." we would deliver not only food but toys as well to the poor in our neighborhood who had kids under 18. I did this through my high schools national honor society it just happened to be done in collusion with my old church. I do not think that they do this anymore though.

[Elaevia]

There's a food bank near us that is very easy to support: buying a couple of extra tins of veg or bags of rice with the weekly shop and dropping it by. Then they give it to people and families who need a bit of help ( I think they are referred from local churches, citizens advice etc) I like this because of we are having a good month we can buy more, but a bad month just a little, and you know exactly how you are helping.

[kukasö]

Wildfire, that's a lot of help for teachers

I helped my sister to cut oak(thanks God, not maple) leaves from paper for some activity with her students. And I can't imagine how she would do it without help

Does school organise such help? Or there are some organisations who help schools?

I've never heard about such opportunity here.

 

Elaevia, I agree that it's good when you know exactly where your help will go. When you send money to some big organization it's difficult to say what they'll do with it.

[Wildfire Sedai]

Kukaso: Yes there is an organization that works with the public schools called: Volunteering In Public Schools or VIPS. As far as I know though it is only in the town of westfield where I live. It is a lot of fun however it can get boring at times. But I love it anyway.