Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month?

Volunteering is the art of giving your labor or expertise for free and many charities and local programs could not exist without the help of volunteers.

This month is the time to think about how you can give some of your time and efforts away to help your community.

Reasons to Volunteer

Here are a few reasons why volunteering is a great thing to do no matter what month it is:

• You get a warm feeling inside from giving your time and skills to help people.
• It’s a great way to meet people and make friends.
• It is also a great way to feel like you are part of your local community.
• You can learn something new and gain valuable work experience.
• You can make someone’s life easier or more enjoyable.
• Volunteering looks great on university applications or resumes.

How Can I Volunteer?

There are many ways that you can volunteer your time and efforts during National Volunteer Month and throughout the year.

The first step is to think about what you enjoy doing and what you are good at and how those skills can help your community. For example, if you are really good with children you could volunteer to be a mentor with a Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization.

If you are a carpenter you could lend your building skills to construct houses for low income families. Even technological skills such as web design can come in handy, as you might offer to design the website for a local charity organization.

If you do a quick search for volunteering opportunities in your local area you will be sure to find many positions available. You can also look on a website such as http://www.volunteermatch.org which allows you to search for your local area and identify which type of volunteering you would like to do.

Many people think that they don’t have the time to volunteer, but you don’t have to make volunteering your full time job.

Many organizations will be happy to have your help for a few hours per week or even one day a month. It is up to you how much time you are able to commit to helping out.

Have fun volunteering and helping out your local community!