[fishin fool]

I am thinking about volunteering here. Perfect for me.

They do great work here in N.J.

I volunteer at my local library; not so much because I want to but because I need references to find a job one of these days since I've been out of work for so long that I have no references and nearly no experience.

Do I want to? Not really. I would rather stay at home and play video games than do a bunch of boring repetitive tasks without a pay check not to mention having to ride the bus because I don't have a car and license, but we all have to get by somehow!

[Miss Laura]

I volunteer as a Youth Worker (3 hours a week), Befriender (3 hours a week) and as a Peer Support Worker (1 hour a week). I have volunteered for the last 16 years. I find it very rewarding. Especially my first volunteering role working with children and young people who all have disabilities (mostly physical and learning). Loved every minute of it.

[Artchic528]

I volunteer for an organization that helps to rescue animals (dogs and cats mostly), foster them, and find them their forever homes. It's really rewarding, especially when there are orphaned puppies or kittens. You get to bottle feed them, and watch them grow up from helpless newborn balls of fur into older, more playful kittens and puppies.

[Sunflower123]

I was thinking of volunteering at our local hospital a few days a week as a way to slowly work my way back to full time employment. I'm not always dependable at this moment or should I say consistent so that's holding me back. Like you I haven't worked in so long that I have no references and have put my CPA license in inactive status. It would be a lot of work to go back to active status.

Over the last 5 years I have had a few voluntary jobs, it was great when I wasn't in paid work and I had lots of time to spare. I did all sorts (not going to write here as some of it is potentially personally identifiable) but I loved it all.

These days I am in paid work and my time is stretched but I still volunteer in my favourite role which involves the elderly and I have a new role involving special-ed children. Love the elderly volunteering but I have attended quite a few funerals sadly, and the loss has made me sad at times.

Go for it fishing fool it sounds like an ideal area for you to volunteer in, hope it brings you much satisfaction and happiness.

[Werewoman]

I'm a CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused children.

I volunteer in the office of a mental health org. I like it a lot.

I say go for it, Fishin Fool. Sounds perfect for you.

[shortandcute]

I used to, but the SSA found out, and denied me SSI.

[Eclecticist]

I used to volunteer as a fingerprint technician for the local police department for nearly a year. I had to use the old fashioned ink and paper for it. It was a little dull sometimes, but I was glad to help out a little bit. I had to stop because of scheduling conflicts with classes. I'd like to take up volunteering some more, but my current work schedule is often too chaotic and inconsistent for me to promise to keep a regular schedule anywhere else.

[eskielover]

I do all kinds of different volunteer projects depending on what comes up. A few years I spent my live volunteering for 4 months caring for 3 abused stallions.

This last year I spent almost 8 months clearing out an elderly lady's house & preparing the things for the auction....her house was like a museum from the 1800's

I volunteered at thevKY Horse Park on the decoration crew when we had the World Equestrian Games here. That turned into being an annual group volunteer thing for the 3 day eventing show every Spring. My whole last half of April I spend at the horse park with the crews that put our the flowers on the x/c jumps & decorate the jump & dressage arenas.

I also volunteer for different dressage shows at the horse park as a judges scribe, runner, orring steward.

The rest of the time I just spend wirking on my own farm saving money by not hiring people to do the work....lol, I volunteer on my own farm.

?

[Fresia]

I did until I went back to work; normally that would not be an issue, however, my job demanded that I be available all hours and they meant it calling me in all the time. Now taking some time off from it, rethinking the job, I miss volunteering. To start back again, I would go back to volunteer at the soup kitchen, tutoring kids, and/or at the animal shelter. However, there is a new horse rescue that has started near us; I will be looking into this meanwhile as well.

[splitimage]

I volunteer one day a week at a low income tax clinic, preparing tax returns for people with psychiatric problems or addictions. It's very rewarding, because people really appreciate the help and it get's them the financial support they are entitled to. I may take on another day, doing the same thing, at a drop in centre for homeless women.

I also volunteer on a suicide hotline, 4 hours a week. It's challenging work, but I really like it, and there's no better feeling than talking someone through a suicide crisis.

splitimage

[lizardlady]

I don't volunteer now, but have in the past. My work schedule and health reasons prevent me from doing it now. I'd like to return to volunteer work when I retire in a few years.

I volunteer. I belong to a motorcycle club that is a charity for veteran's in crisis. I help out at the museum. This means a day or two a month I get out.

[Sunflower123]

Originally Posted by Werewoman

I'm a CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused children.

That sounds fantastic. How do you get into that?

[Sunflower123]

Originally Posted by shortandcute

I used to, but the SSA found out, and denied me SSI.

This is good to know. That would impact me.

[fishin fool]

Originally Posted by shortandcute

I used to, but the SSA found out, and denied me SSI.

I never thought about that but it is good information to know.
Thank you.

Originally Posted by shortandcute

I used to, but the SSA found out, and denied me SSI.

And this is exactly why I mentioned in another thread that if I became homeless, I would become a criminal before applying for SSI; they don't give a **** about people who are actually making an effort to get better and instead would rather help those that don't put an effort into helping themselves. They ASSUME that somebody who is volunteering or trying to work a part time job can work like everybody else without taking into account that that person is outright struggling to get by or perhaps they need that money to eat while the slow and stupid ogres in the government take their sweet time to get around to your case.

Call me harsh, but I think that those who are disabled but are actually making an effort to do something about their problems should be given support over those who give up and stop trying.

[fishin fool]

Originally Posted by DarknessIsMyFriend

And this is exactly why I mentioned in another thread that if I became homeless, I would become a criminal before applying for SSI; they don't give a **** about people who are actually making an effort to get better and instead would rather help those that don't put an effort into helping themselves. They ASSUME that somebody who is volunteering or trying to work a part time job can work like everybody else without taking into account that that person is outright struggling to get by or perhaps they need that money to eat while the slow and stupid ogres in the government take their sweet time to get around to your case.

Call me harsh, but I think that those who are disabled but are actually making an effort to do something about their problems should be given support over those who give up and stop trying.

Yeah its a sad day in the U.S.A. when our system will not give decent
help to the people that need it most while our leaders hand out
corporate welfare to all their buddies and get richer and richer.

[*Laurie*]

Wow! So many interesting volunteer positions are mentioned in this thread

With the exception of the times I've been terribly down, I have always volunteered with teens, children and veterans. At this time I volunteer as a board member on my local mental health board and I volunteer with NAMI as a Connection group facilitator.

Volunteering is so rewarding. I think you'd like the Marine Mammal Center work, Fishin'.

[Unrigged64072835]

I haven't yet, but I would like to volunteer at the hospital down the road from us. I would like to be somewhere other than the ER. I've been there often enough

[Baker#88]

I used to volunteer with a railroad historical society but in the last almost 5 years, it has became way too much for me.

[MuseumGhost]

I used to, when I was better. It was 2 days a week at a small, privately owned Art Gallery.

I'd love to get back to it. It's a great way to get socializing, and gently challenging yourself, again.

I volunteer in a daycare facility for adults (mostly young adults) with an intellectual disability. I started last summer vacation - three 5-hour days a week - and now I go on Saturday mornings because I have school during the week. It's really rewarding work and I'm very much appreciated, which is cool.