A national survey taken before the pandemic found 90% of all Americans thought volunteering was worthwhile, but three out of four of us didn’t take the steps to do it.
After a big drop in face-to-face volunteering during COVID Americans may be feeling ready to reconnect with their communities, whether it is building a house, making a meal, or mentoring a child.
“What are you passionate about? What gets you up in the morning or keeps you up at night,” Lee Pike, the development manager of the non-profit clearing house, Activate Good, said.
Last year alone, activate good matched ten thousand people with opportunities, impacting more than 115 thousand people.
For Nancy Sheehan — who was new to the area and lonely during COVID-19 — it meant a chance to use 20 years of experience as a school librarian.
“If there’s one thing I know, the end of the school year is a mess,” Sheehan states.
During her volunteer hours each week, Sheehan brings order to chaos.
Studies have shown that volunteering improves self-esteem, increases social skills, and provides purpose.
“There are very impactful ways you can contribute even with just an hour a week,” Pike proclaims.
Working from home? COVID-19 has created ongoing virtual opportunities. Make a global impact with united nations volunteers online. The Smithsonian institution needs digital volunteers to transcribe historical documents. And dosomthing.org invites young people to use media for social change.
Lee Pike said she works to overcome some of the perceived drawbacks, like volunteering requiring too much time, or it’s too tough to find a good match.
Nationwide, you can find opportunities by interest, geographical location, and time commitment at pointsoflight.org.