Thank You!

This week is National Volunteer Week. It’s a week to recognize, celebrate, and encourage volunteerism!

We at the Volunteer Center at the United Way of Northwest Michigan want to THANK YOU for your volunteer efforts in our community. Giving your time and talents to those individuals, organizations or issues in need not only creates healthier, more vibrant communities for us all, but actually creates a healthier you!

Check out our Top 10 Ways to Give Back for some new ideas and then pass it on!

Top 10 Ways to Give Back to Your Community

1. Visit www.unitedwaynwmi.org, click on Volunteer Center and create your volunteer account. This helps you to stay informed about current needs, events and new volunteer opportunities in our 5 county area.

2. Contact your county’s Commission on Aging to find out how you can help your elderly neighbors in need with raking, mowing, shoveling, gardening, etc.

3. Identify the needs of an organization such as a food pantry, baby pantry, Goodwill Inn, or Third Level Crisis Center and organize a food or personal care drive among your family and friends. Every little bit that you can collect helps!

4. Many nonprofits do large fundraising events/parties/galas and need lots of volunteers to help them run smoothly. Contact your favorite nonprofit to see if there are events that you can be a part of, or call your Volunteer Center for ideas.

5. Beaches, nature preserves, hiking trails…Is outdoor work your thing? From beach clean-ups to trail building, there’s lots to do and new places to explore. Contact your county’s Conservation District or your local Land Conservancy. Your Volunteer Center can help you with contact information and many other outdoor ideas.

6. Support music and the arts by getting involved in one of our great arts organizations. Whether concerts, plays, film or art showings, volunteers are needed to usher, build sets, plan events, act, or perform!

7. If animals are your passion you might consider the Humane Society or other animal rescue organizations. Training your dog to be a “therapy dog” for hospice or nursing home work is another option. How about the Watershed Center to capture and identify invertebrates to determine the health of our local streams.

8. Spring Break, holidays, family vacations…Make yours alternative! Help to serve a community holiday dinner. Alternative Spring Breaks can be life changing--many universities offer their own, or try www.liveunited.org/asb/. Give voluntourism a try, for a great experience abroad.

9. Visit a nursing care facility to take seniors for walks, read or play cards. “Adopt” just one or two residents to visit every week, growing relationships that give both ways.

10. And finally…Take a look around. Do you see a neighbor who needs a hand, a child who would love to have some time with you? Do you have an idea for solving an unmet need in your community? We all have answers, start reaching out and talking to others. Grab the chance to create your own project to better your community!

Thank you for taking the initiative, taking the risk and getting involved!
Have a great week!