How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Most resolutions have to do with ourselves and things we want to improve. I hope you’re keeping your goals in mind and making a commitment to them.
This month, I would suggest thinking about ways to improve, help and make a difference to others. Many nonprofits need our help. We can examine our talents and decide how to share them as well as our time with people and organizations in need.
Considering many places to volunteer, I can think immediately of five categories. They are Business Related, Food/Pantry Services, Human Services, Children & Youth, and Senior Care, to name a few. Take a moment to analyze where your interest lies and what talents you have that would match up with the needs of local organizations. Volunteering just a couple of hours a week or a month can make a big impact on nonprofits who run on a tight budget.
In the category of Business-related is SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), always in need of volunteers to mentor businesses in areas of marketing, sales, growth and media communication. Another in this category is Career Networking Center which helps people with interview skills, job searches and networking approaches.
Volunteer opportunities exist at local food pantries for shelving food, helping load groceries into cars and picking up/rescuing food from grocery stores or restaurants. Loaves & Fishes is Naperville’s largest pantry. Others include West Suburban Community Pantry and the People’s Resource Center in Wheaton. Some other positions at the PRC include computer instruction, sorting in the clothes closet, and tutoring. Meals on Wheels needs drivers to deliver lunches and servers at a lunch location in Bolingbrook.
Two senior services groups I can think of are RAN (Ride Assist Naperville) whereby seniors can get rides to and from medical appointments from volunteer drivers. St. Patrick’s Residence needs volunteers to help run BINGO, Happy Hour and provide clinic transport.
Under Children and Youth would be Big Brothers/Big Sisters (BBSil), Head Start and Early Head Start in Joliet and Aurora. CASA (Court Assisted Special Advocates) is looking for people to commit to a year of helping foster kids navigate through the court system while keeping the child’s best interests in mind.
The Human Services category is all encompassing. It could be tutors or mentors for LiteracyvolunteersDuPage.org or Bridge Communities. Catholic Charities (Jnewburn@cc-doj.) needs everything from cooks for group homes, office help, landscape help and Food Rescue drivers. Retail volunteers at Second Chance Resale (Sorting, pricing clothes & housewares) or Serendipity Resale provide valuable retail help as well.
If gardening is a hobby you enjoy, then We Grow Dreams can use your green thumb. Volunteer job coaches provide job training and employment opportunities for people with disabilities at their greenhouse. They also need handymen and job coaches.
If you don’t see a category you’re interested in, then check out www.idealist.org/volunteermatch.
Let’s show Naperville how we care for those in need and share our talents and time with others.
1 Peter 4:10 – Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as servants of God’s grace.
