I spend a lot of my time doing volunteer work. This is one of the reasons I don't want to get a "real" job, because I have a lot of fun and really enjoy my volunteer time. I think volunteering is so important to your community.

I, and my 3 girls are involved in a program called "HANDS ACROSS THE COUNTY". You keep track of your time and it is accumulated throughout the year. Then a big banquet is held with a nice dinner, and door prizes, which is kind of fun. This just started last year, but I have been volunteering all my life!

Our small township had the most volunteers in the county with 72 active volunteers enrolled. In October I spent 33 1/2 hours doing volunteer work. I work in the library, teach pre-school, help at the schools, help at the community center, and am now a 4-H advisor.

Maybe some of you who are a little at loose ends can volunteer your time in your community. It is a great way to help out others, and make new friends. Most of my efforts are concentrated with children, but there are opportunities available everywhere!

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), November 01, 2001

Answers

I, too, volunteer my time to serve my community. My first volunteer job was as an EMT on my hometown ambulance association. Since I have moved and now volunteer at a family resource center at one of their playgoups for parents and toddlers.

I love the sense of pride and accomplishment I get from volunteering, I always walk away feeling good about it.

Take care!

-- Judy L (quiltjude@iwon.com), November 01, 2001.

I really enjoy my volunteering time too. My son and I volunteer with a program called Book Baskets that collects gently used books and gives each book an new "this book belongs to...." face plate. Books are given out to kids that normally wouldn't get to have their own books. For some of the kids, the only thing that they have to call THEIRS are the 2 or 3 books they choose. I have brought this program into the "at risk 4 year old" program at each of the three elementary schools in my town. The kids enjoy it, but it does so much good for my heart too.

I also volunteer two Saturday's a month at a thrift shop. I started doing this so I could get out by myself for a few hours and to get first dibs on the things coming in. My second time volunteering there, the "manager" (?) asked me if I wanted to do it on a regular basis and get paid for it? She was trying to get a few Sautrdays off and wanted someone to be responsible for running the shop while she was off. I still only do it 2 Saturdays a month, for 3 hours each day and GET PAID to do it!

-- Amy (amya@cstone.net), November 01, 2001.

I really like that book idea Amy!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), November 01, 2001.

I volunteer at my kid's school. Mostly what I do is read one on one with at risk readers-we read together. Tomorrow I'll be there all day working on the Fall Festival. I am also in the County Extention Homemakers club-and we do all sorts of things-work at the nursing home, work with the Red Cross Blood drive, collect things for the Battered Women's Shelter, and work with the Angel Tree program which helps families at Christmas time.

My other volunteer work is at home! There are several organizations that use handmade items-CareWear uses tiny things for premature Babies, Caps for Kids takes caps and hats and distributes them and Warm up America! works with Red Cross to give out blankets and afghans to disaster victems and homeless shelters. I love doing this because I can do it in odd bits of time, waiting at Doctors offices or at the end of the day, when I'm on hold on the phone.

-- Kelly in Ky (Ksaderholm@yahoo.com), November 01, 2001.

I live about 7 miles from a very small town and have considered volunteering at the local Red Cross chapter and the library reading program. Until now, we've only had one vehicle and that was at work with Hubby 99% of the time. But, since Sept 11th, I've been thinking about doing something in that area. However, I've noticed how out of touch the folks in the countryside around me might be in case of an emergency. We do have great weather warnings on television and radios here in Oklahoma, but that's about it. The County Sheriff and the local volunteer Fire Departments would come around if the area were in trouble for whatever reason, but that's about it. Being in the country does have it's drawback. We have no organized disaster anything, except for personal plans. I've been pondering the thought of organizing a group for the country people that is somehow attached to this Red Cross chapter 7 miles away. Don't know how to go about doing it though. Most folks around here are transplant city folk and are very leery of anyone coming up on their property and have gates and dogs to protect it. There's none of the "everyone knows everyone in farming country" around here. Any ideas? This idea is just in the ah-ha stage at the moment, so I might be on the wrong track all together. Any ideas? Iris

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), November 01, 2001.

I am a girl scout leader, sunday school teacher and always volunteer to help with sports (without coaching since I am sports-stupid)by telephoning or arranging for the trophies, etc..

I hope we can get more involved with the heifer project and maybe raise a dog for seeing eye dogs someday...

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), November 05, 2001.