Volunteer Connections

Global Volunteer Month officially ends this week with the end of April, but making time for volunteering is important any time of year. It is also a great way to establish connections and make new friends.

Nonprofit organizations often work with limited resources, so giving your time or talents can make a real impact. At Language of Friendship, we have personally experienced how volunteering can enhance our wellbeing. Connecting with others outside of our own circles is increasingly hard to do. Not only are we busy, but also social media tends to amplify our differences more than our commonalities. Coming together to volunteer with an organization brings you in contact with people who share your values. Working together on a common goal gives you a basis to start a conversation and companions to do the work alongside.

Now more than ever, people are looking within themselves to find the inspiration, creativity, and sustained energy to make change.

Points of Light

Sara has shared her mom’s story of making friends after moving to Kentucky from the Northeast in the 1970s by becoming involved with the local chapter of Hadassah. Her mom’s involvement with Hadassah gave her a basis for many of the friendships she made in Kentucky and also provided a model for Sara and her sister about the importance of both connection and volunteering–two things that never go out of style.

If you are looking for some inspiration of your own, here are a few ideas for pursuing volunteer opportunities and deepening connections, or even making new ones while you’re at it.

Give back with friends

For several years now, I’ve supported my local animal shelter, fostering cats and kittens during the pandemic, then spending time with the animals onsite once Covid restrictions eased. When I started a new job this past fall, I found that the daily commute and longer days made finding time for the shelter difficult. Finding time for a lot of things became harder, including spending time with friends. In December, I decided I could bring two of my favorite things together at a holiday event to benefit Heartland Animal Shelter. I brought together several animal-loving friends for the informal open house/holiday party that introduced more people to this community organization while raising much-needed funds.

Volunteer with work

I have great memories of the many volunteer opportunities through companies I’ve worked for. Many businesses are committed to helping the communities they operate in and may have teams to manage all the logistics that come with finding a good volunteer project. I came to know my PepsiCo colleagues at a different level during our weekly bus rides to teach Junior Achievement in a nearby primary school. Last weekend, I had the unique opportunity to volunteer at the London Marathon (photo above), supporting my company’s ‘Cheer Zone’ strategically located at mile 23 where runners truly need that extra encouragement.

Just sign up

While it can be intimidating to get involved with a volunteer event on your own, it’s often worth it to take the plunge. Years ago, I signed up for a full-day volunteer project helping fix up senior housing in a neglected area of Chicago. It was sponsored through the church I attended, but aside from one friend who occasionally went to church, I knew no one. I convinced my friend to sign up too, but she was a no-show that day. I was on my own as our volunteer group boarded the bus. It turns out I wasn’t the only one who’s friend bailed, and that is the story behind how I met my friend Kelly, still a dear friend more than two decades later.