| Survivors in recovery find that doing volunteering | | | | threats to life. Find out what you can do locally. |
| helps others and themselves. Giving and receiving | | | | 9. Join with others in cleaning a stream. |
| kindness nurtures self-worth. | | | | 10. Days for community cleanup provide opportunities |
| 1. The Humane Society appreciates volunteers. What | | | | to get out there and do something. |
| might you do? Walk dogs, clean kennels, give a call | | | | 11. Habitat for Humanity welcomes volunteers. You |
| and find out what the needs are. | | | | don't need to be an expert to lend a hand. |
| 2. Knit or crochet chemo hats for a cancer center. | | | | 12. Adult literacy programs are always looking for |
| Children and adults who are receiving cancer | | | | volunteers. Call and see what their needs are and |
| treatment appreciate soft hats. | | | | what training is given to the volunteers. |
| 3. Become involved in a community garden. Digging in | | | | 13. Become a blood donor. You can donate your |
| the earth, planting, watering and weeding is healing | | | | blood as frequently as every 56 days. |
| work and you help the community garden and the | | | | 14. Offer a "micro-loan" to entrepreneurs among the |
| people it serves. | | | | extremely poor. Google Kiva, MicroPlace, OptINnow, |
| 4. The local food bank needs help. You might become | | | | The Village Banking Campaign, and the Microcredit |
| involved in picking up donations or passing out | | | | Summit Campaign. |
| literature or bagging groceries. | | | | 15. Donate toys to needy children through Salvation |
| 5. Join your neighborhood association. Neighbors can | | | | Army and to homeless shelters. Do you know that |
| be involved in making sure the streets are safe for | | | | there are children in homeless shelters? |
| the children by working with the city council on | | | | 16. Public schools not only cut back on so-called |
| issues. Other activities might include street fairs. | | | | extracurricular activities such as music and the arts, |
| Neighbors keep track of neighbors. | | | | but also on other subjects such as geography, |
| 6. Have friends, colleagues, or neighbors who are | | | | geology, earth science, and on-and-on. It is basically |
| housebound or are on medical leave? What might | | | | reading and math these days in K-8. Now a new |
| you do to be to be helpful without being | | | | crisis, cutting back the number of teachers and |
| over-involved? You might offer to run an errand | | | | reducing salaries of those who are retained. How |
| while you are doing your own. Perhaps your friend | | | | might you share your knowledge and talent? Call the |
| would appreciate exchanging reading material or | | | | school principal and have a chat. To work with |
| DVDs. | | | | children or teens, of course, you will go through a |
| 7. Cancer runs and relays welcome runners and | | | | background check. |
| volunteers. If you're not a runner, how about handing | | | | You are worthy of giving and receiving kindness. Be |
| out water at the watering stations? | | | | involved. Others will thank you and you will thank |
| 8. Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society are doing | | | | yourself. |
| actions to save us from the oil spills and from other | | | | |