Since this blog is all about ways to make a difference in the world today, this morning I decided to find some basic resources to share with readers. Here are some websites you can use to get started looking through and learning about a wide variety of volunteer opportunities in your own area or in a different part of the world:
www.dosomething.org/volunteer
www.volunteer.gov/Gov
www.volunteermatch.org
www.idealist.org/if/as/vol
www,volunteerabroad.com
www.rileyguide.com/intern.html
www.worldvolunteers.org/worldeng.html
There are thousands of websites offering ways to volunteer no matter where you are. Many of them specialize in just one area of helping such as the environment, education, or health. Others offer multiple opportunities instead of just focusing on one area.
You can also do a search for you favorite charitable organization to see what opportunities are available. Whether it be your church denomination, the YMCA, Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Peace Corps, World Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservancy, or some other organization, these days almost all have a website online with a page listing their current opportunities as well as a way to donate money.
Looking through some of these sites were possibilities for volunteering that I hadn't thought of. Teaching languages, doing an internship which could eventually lead to a paying job,
counting birds or fireflies or specific animals in an area, being a voluntary librarian, helping out in an orphanage, nursing injured animals, assisting researchers with scientific studies in fields such as astronomy or archeology or economics or medicine, diving along the Great Barrier Reef to help AIDS research and threatened coral, and more.
Although some opportunities would require expertise or experience, most do not. There are numerous tasks that the average person could do. Many organizations offer training in any specific skills needed for the work you'd be helping in. This means you would not only be able to help others or make a difference in some way, but you would also receive knowledge and skills that help you in your personal growth and could increase your resume and income potential at the same time!
Whether you are interested in a project of a certain length, are looking for something you could help with weekly, or just would like to do something to help out as your way of giving back and as a different way to spend your vacation, you'll be able to find something on one of these sites or by doing your own internet search that is a great fit for you.
There are even ways to help organizations on the internet! Many sites for charities can use your talents if you are internet savvy. Technical or writing skills, knowing search engine optimization, graphic design, and many more would be appreciated by organizations on limited budgets. That way, they can spend the donations they receive to help others instead of paying for websites and related work. Free web-hosting, video creation, and promoting the organization on social media are just a few more possibilities.
Make sure of course to discuss the needs of the particular organization you want to help. They need to give you approval before you begin.
Have you come across any internet sites that list opportunities? If so, please share in the comments below. Also share your story with us if you have personal done some interesting, rewarding, or unusual volunteer work at any time in your life. We all enjoy inspiration, and it could just be the thing that gets someone to begin volunteering for the first time or re-committed to doing more. That's another way for you to make a difference!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 13, 2010
About World Peace...
World Peace. Most people say they want it. Some join peace rallies, wear peace signs on their clothes and jewelry, and some spend a lot of volunteering for causes relating to it. Nobel Peace Prize winners are selected based on their individual contribution to this cause.
Many people don't do anything.
What can you as an individual do to help the world have it? I believe it begins at home with our family, how we act with our neighbors and local community, how we act when we travel outside our own area, what we post in social media, say both in public and private, thoughts we think, and just basically in everything we do.
Are you part of the solution, or do you talk negatively about those who are different than you in some way? If gender,sexual orientation, religion or having none,political affiliation, color of skin,nationality, or anything else like that bother you so much that you feel hatred or strong dislike for someone, I beg you to think this through and figure out what upsets you so much that someone shouldn't have the freedom to have their own beliefs that are different than yours.
Someone who is of a different race than you didn't even have a choice what race they would prefer to be. They were born into it! Nationality? A majority of the time they were born in that country. The same goes for most who are of a different sexual orientation than you. They were born that way. Others may have had some upsetting traumas that caused them to decide to change.
We are all equal. We should treat people with respect. We should give people a chance. I'm not saying we should be close friends with criminals, do business with unethical people, or interact with those who share different values than us. I am saying that we shouldn't pre- judge people by the things I mentioned above. We should get to know them as a real person.
Putting down others doesn't lift anyone up. It serves no useful purpose whatsoever.
I'm making an effort in my own life to pay attention to my thoughts, what I say, and what my actions say about me. I have a long way to go, but every bit of progress is a step for the better. This is a great place to start in the effort to have world peace. Become aware and notice in your own self when you do something that would have a negative effect on an individual or a group. Gossip could fall into this category. I'm sure you can think of many more actions or instances that could.
There are a lot of groups on the internet who are posting ideas for those who would like to be more active in this area. Teleseminars are also being offered by people of all faiths and personal beliefs who are interested in finding common group and looking for the best in all people rather than getting all upset and focusing on differences. Do a search for peace, and you'll have many to choose from.
Please do whatever you can personally to uplift those you interact with. I know since you are reading this you are wanting to make a bigger difference and have more impact on our world today. You are already doing that in various ways already I'm certain. Keep up the great work!
Feel free to share your ideas on how we can all join together to have peace in our world someday.
Many people don't do anything.
What can you as an individual do to help the world have it? I believe it begins at home with our family, how we act with our neighbors and local community, how we act when we travel outside our own area, what we post in social media, say both in public and private, thoughts we think, and just basically in everything we do.
Are you part of the solution, or do you talk negatively about those who are different than you in some way? If gender,sexual orientation, religion or having none,political affiliation, color of skin,nationality, or anything else like that bother you so much that you feel hatred or strong dislike for someone, I beg you to think this through and figure out what upsets you so much that someone shouldn't have the freedom to have their own beliefs that are different than yours.
Someone who is of a different race than you didn't even have a choice what race they would prefer to be. They were born into it! Nationality? A majority of the time they were born in that country. The same goes for most who are of a different sexual orientation than you. They were born that way. Others may have had some upsetting traumas that caused them to decide to change.
We are all equal. We should treat people with respect. We should give people a chance. I'm not saying we should be close friends with criminals, do business with unethical people, or interact with those who share different values than us. I am saying that we shouldn't pre- judge people by the things I mentioned above. We should get to know them as a real person.
Putting down others doesn't lift anyone up. It serves no useful purpose whatsoever.
I'm making an effort in my own life to pay attention to my thoughts, what I say, and what my actions say about me. I have a long way to go, but every bit of progress is a step for the better. This is a great place to start in the effort to have world peace. Become aware and notice in your own self when you do something that would have a negative effect on an individual or a group. Gossip could fall into this category. I'm sure you can think of many more actions or instances that could.
There are a lot of groups on the internet who are posting ideas for those who would like to be more active in this area. Teleseminars are also being offered by people of all faiths and personal beliefs who are interested in finding common group and looking for the best in all people rather than getting all upset and focusing on differences. Do a search for peace, and you'll have many to choose from.
Please do whatever you can personally to uplift those you interact with. I know since you are reading this you are wanting to make a bigger difference and have more impact on our world today. You are already doing that in various ways already I'm certain. Keep up the great work!
Feel free to share your ideas on how we can all join together to have peace in our world someday.
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