Logo

Getting Out, Giving Back

Published: May 04, 2009

If sitting around in your underwear and alternately surfing job sites and playing online scrabble is getting tiresome, consider a more altruistic distraction from your unemployment. Volunteering is the perfect antidote to the doldrums that so often accompany being out of work. You get socialization. You get to be part of a team working towards a single, unifying goal. You get to use your hands, your mind, and very often your legs and upper body. Best of all, you get to help people in a real and tangible way. We suggest checking out Volunteermatch.org, where you can search by zip code or city. We’ve grabbed a few to highlight below, but there are literally thousands to choose from, so you should have no problem finding something that fits.

Delaware
Brandywine Counseling
2713 Lancaster Avenue, Wilmington, DE 19805

This substance abuse treatment agency is seeking a New Media Assistant who can give an hour or two of their time a couple of days a week. The project is perfect for serial social-networkers and YouTube aficionados.

Oklahoma
Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum
1400 Classen Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73106

Bring your green thumb and help replant the flower beds of the Edith Kinny Gaylord Gardens.

New York
Hearing Loss Association of America--Manhattan Chapter
209 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011

HLAA is looking for some tech-savvy volunteers to take charge of setting up and shutting down their listening system, which includes a PA and an induction loop for those with hearing loss, as well as wireless mikes.

Washington
Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims
PO Box 1949, Everett, WA 98206

Families & Friends is looking for a Grant Writer to assist them in researching, identifying and writing grant proposals.

--Posted by Sophie Friedman, Vault Web Content Intern

***