You have something that makes your heart soar, right? Maybe it’s the way a child laughs when you teach them how to play peek-a-boo, maybe it’s the smile you get when you give out food at your local food pantry, maybe it’s that hug you get from the elderly church member who is glad to see you. All of those things are part of you service journey! Yet, many people have never experienced those great moments because they’ve never been asked!
No one's asked you to get involved yet? Consider this your invitation! Don't let the summer pass you by: take the initiative to volunteer your time doing something you love and become involved in your community through service.
"How?" you ask? It's easy!
1) IDENTIFY YOUR STRENGTHS
What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? What do your friends and family praise you for? Be honest about what your strengths and weakness are. If you don't like hanging out with little kids, volunteering to lead a summer camp activity may not be the best choice! Do you have a green thumb? You might consider asking your local food pantry if they have a community garden or "donate a row" program. Love singing? Check out a local nursing home to see if they would be willing to let you practice for the residents, or better yet, lead a sing-along! Are you a whizz at technology? Many area non-profits are in need of web design assistance or even basic training on how to use Microsoft programs.
2) IDENTIFY A NEED IN THE COMMUNITY
- The easiest way to do this is to check out online databases such as http://www.volunteermatch.org/, since they have already done the work of finding available volunteer opportunities which directly identify and address the need present in your community. Just be careful that the listing is up to date—it’s always a good idea to email or call the listed contact to make sure the volunteer opportunity is still available.
- Ask around at work, church, or the gym to see what other people are doing. There are always little projects happening that only get advertised via word of mouth!
- Did you know that your county may have a volunteer center, human services department or workforce development center? Most counties are required to have these organizations so check your county website. Worried about picking a nonprofit organization that is responsible? You can access http://www.guidestar.org/ and/or the chamber of commerce or better business bureau to see which organizations in your area are most trusted.
3) SERVE!
Did you know that most nonprofit organizations would be happy if you could serve one hour per month? PER MONTH! So skip TV for one evening each month and you could be giving back to your community in no time.
4) CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Hard work deserves celebration! Tell us about your service journey by going to "MyRiponPortal > Student Life > Community Engagment" and filling out the simple web reporting form. Ripon College and the Office of Community Engagement are your biggest cheerleaders and we would love to hear what you've accomplished, what you learned, and what you loved about your service experience.
Did you serve with someone extraordinary this summer? Let them know how much you appreciate their efforts to make our world a better place! Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Tweet about your experience (@riponcollege).
- Have an "at-home tea party” to relax after all your hard work. (Send volunteers and/or your community partner/non-profit representative(s) a tea bag in a thank you card and invite them to enjoy a cup of tea in the quiet of their own home.)
- Run a photograph and news story in the local newspaper.
- Send a thank-you note to your community partner(s)/non-profit organization and your fellow volunteers.
- Send peppermint candies to your fellow volunteers with the message "You're worth a mint!"
- Say “Thank You!” Sometimes the simplest gestures can mean the most!
