Do you volunteer? Or have you ever thought about volunteering? Well, this is the month to start. President George H.W. Bush started the 1000 Points of Light campaign in 1991 which established April as National Volunteer Month.
National Volunteer Month is all about recognizing the importance of volunteering and thanking those who have donated time and energy to worthy causes. Many organizations would fail to exist if it weren’t for volunteers, especially non-profits. Therefore, we need to do our part!
How to celebrate National Volunteer Month:
- Thank a volunteer. If a volunteer has made a difference in your life, tell them.
- Sign up to volunteer. If you’ve been putting this off for a while, try now! Keep reading to get ideas on where and what to do!
Some ways that Clairemont has given back are by supporting a few worthwhile organizations, including the Green Chair Project, Triangle Family Services and Saving Grace.
The Green Chair Project
The Green Chair Project is a nonprofit that “reuses donated furnishings for people facing the challenges of homelessness, crisis or disaster.” In Wake County, there are more than 87,000 residents living in poverty. However, there has been a total of 103,134 hours of volunteer service towards helping families live in well-equipped homes. Green Chair Project volunteers have a variety of responsibilities. For example, working in hospitality, processing donations, curating décor, assembling home bundles, beautifying buildings and warehouse assistance. If you would be interested in helping with any of these, email kirsten@thegreenchair.org or visit this link!
Triangle Family Services
The mission of Triangle Family Services is to build a stronger community by strengthening families. They do this by offering programs focused on family safety, financial stability and mental health. As a result, our local community and growing youth will lead better lives. For more information about volunteering, email info@tfsnc.org.
Saving Grace
Saving Grace is the place where animal lovers come together to help find adoptable dogs and cats in need of a second chance. Saving Grace follows a 6-step procedure:
- Find dogs and cats (and some farm animals!) that need a second chance and rescue them
- Transport the animals to Saving Grace
- Treat the animals for medical issues and provide some bathing and grooming services
- Find homes for the animals
- Follow up with the adoption transition
This organization would not exist without volunteers! There are opportunities available working at the farm, with transportation of animals, medical support, social media, adoptions, administrative support and photography. There is also a need for foster families. Go here for more information on how to register to be a volunteer.
Interested in more ways to help but don’t know how?
- Serve at your local homeless shelter
- Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity to build homes
- Give blood with the American Red Cross
- Donate at your local church
- Collect supplies for a food, clothing or toy drive
- Donate to a local shelter
- Find volunteer opportunities on Volunteer Match, to see what’s nearby that best fits you
- Sign up with Volunteer Raleigh (or a similar organization where you live) and get connected with ongoing city needs
Volunteering is a great way to give back to your community, and it helps expand your network and learn and grow new skills, all while improving other people’s lives. If you were ever looking to make a difference, the time is now. We encourage you to utilize these past few days of National Volunteer month to set your intention to volunteer and research opportunities that appeal to you!
By Clairemont intern Ali de la Vega
