Charitable organizations rely on the donation of volunteers’ time just as much as they count on monetary donations in order to remain functional and effective. With summer approaching, and the long daylight hours and ample volunteer programs being held outdoors, there are plenty of opportunities and few excuses not to get out and lend a hand in your community. You’ll be a tremendous asset to the organization for which you volunteer your time, which is an investment both in them and in yourself. You will feel great afterwards, proud of yourself for enriching the lives of people in your community. What better way to make both yourself and others feel better at the same time? Read on to find out how to volunteer in general and specific ways of volunteering in New Orleans.
How to Volunteer
There is any number of ways to volunteer your services for a charitable cause. You can clean up litter along the streets of your neighborhood. You can serve food at a shelter. You can teach life skills such as resume writing to adults, allowing them to improve their standing in life. These examples of volunteering are just the tip of the iceberg of chances to lend your services.
New Orleans is a city with absolutely no shortage of volunteer opportunities. Inner-city schools need the help of volunteer tutors to sharpen their students’ skills. Garbage tends to build up in the streets, especially during the seemingly never-ending festival season, and municipal cleaning crews cannot pick it all up—they need help! With crime at near epidemic levels, after school programs are constantly looking for citizens to donate their time to help coordinate and run activities designed to foster a positive environment for New Orleans’ at-risk youth. As mentioned before, tutors are needed to help adults improve various life and professional skills. Homes and other buildings throughout the city are constantly in need of repair, so why not leave a visible, tangible legacy of your service through volunteering to help in the repair or construction of a home for a needy family, or the rehabilitation of a historic property? New Orleans is chock full of opportunities to volunteer, so there are hardly any excuses not to get out there and get involved this summer.
Volunteer Programs in New Orleans
If you would like to get involved in the New Orleans community, consider the volunteer programs of the Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans. VOAGNO is a well-respected organization dedicated to helping over 63,000 people per year throughout a 16-parish area. A couple of the programs offered by VOAGNO include mentor programs for at-risk youth and helping out with children in various capacities. With the long summer days comes the increased outside activity, which can be either positive or negative depending on the environment to which children and teens are exposed. By donating your time to these programs, you will both improve your own community and make yourself feel better, which is what summertime is all about, right? For more information on VOAGNO’s programs and how to volunteer, please visit www.voagno.org or call (504) 482-2130.