Choose a Cause

You've decided that you want to volunteer and have lots of ideas, but you're not sure where to begin. Start by choosing who or what you want to help.

Step 1: Choose something that interests you.

Choose an area you feel personally connected to or are particularly passionate about. Make it meaningful. This extra passion and connection will help motivate you to really make an impact. The key is just to figure out what you enjoy and go from there. Here are some ideas to get started but the list goes on and on.

Issues:

Human rights; Domestic violence; World hunger; Cancer and other diseases; The Environment; Animal safety; World Peace, Homelessness; Child safety and rights; Literacy; Sex education; Crisis relief.

Arts and Interests:

Community choirs, bands, and orchestras; Museums, art galleries, and monuments; Community theaters; Youth organizations, sports teams, and after-school programs; Historical restorations, battlefields, and national parks; Libraries.

Organizations:

Hospitals; Neighborhood Watch; Political campaigns; Community-sponsored soup kitchens or food pantries; Shelters for battered women and children; Literacy programs; Animal shelters; Day care centers; Retirement centers and homes for the elderly; Local park clean-ups.

Step 2: Decide how you want to help.

Once you know what you want to support, now you need to decide how you want to help. Here are things to things to consider. You can get involved localy and help improve the community right where you are or get involved with a national or international organization and help people all over.You can raise money for an organization or specific project, or advocate for a general cause like safe sex or environmental protection, or get involved directly and do the actual aid work by starting a club or volunteering. Do you...

Getting involved in a cause you care about benefits so many people, so why wait to start? Check out the list below to get your ideas flowing.