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Volunteering is not only a way of helping others, it is also a way of life. You give it your time, knowledge and abilities to help someone who may need help. By assisting others, we can also help ourselves, meet new people, create new bonds, give to our community, and do the greater good. While volunteering, we become close to the ones we are helping. Sometimes, these interactions can turn into lifetime-worth friendships. It can also improve our existing relationships and make them stronger. Meeting new people, colleagues and those who need aid, will also improve our social skills, and make us more civil, caring and giving. Through volunteering, we can develop new friendships, while we are doing good for our community. There are different types of volunteering and many ways to help others. So let us look at what ways you can be more effective and helpful.
Main types of volunteering
As mentioned previously, there are several types of volunteering jobs. It is very important to choose the right type of job for yourself to effectively do it. For example, if you cannot stand seeing sick people lying on medical beds, then working at the hospital would not be the exact right choice for you to start your career as a volunteer.
- Volunteering at a hospital. Hospitals offer us endless ways to help. It benefits the volunteer, the patients, the families, and the hospital workers. We meet new people, learn new skills, and help patients to get through their illnesses and tough times. Learning new skills is a valuable benefit, and if you plan to have a medical career in the future, it will also give you precious experience. It’s completely up to you how much time you will spend on volunteering each day, week or month. You can work with hospital staff, spend time with patients, do administrative tasks with staff, assist doctors during operations, etc. If you decide to work with patients, there are many ways how you can help them: you can read them, deliver some treats, escort them on a walk and keep them company etc. But before you decide to go with the hospital volunteering, do some research first. Contact local healthcare organisations and ask them about hospital or medical volunteering opportunities. Make a list of hospitals and clinics based on your interests and location. You can also work in hospitals abroad or join medical missions.
- Volunteer for animals. Help those who cannot speak for themselves – volunteer for animals. Unfortunately, we live in a world where animals are treated without respect, abused and killed. If you love animals and do not want to see them suffer, abused or even extinct, then you should think about volunteering for animals. From shelters to wildlife sanctuaries, there are hundreds of options for how you can be of help. In emergencies, such as natural disasters or acute animal threats, you can provide immediate assistance. It is also a type of volunteering where you can stay in your hometown or travel to another continent. Volunteering for animals includes: dog walking and kennel duties, working with stray and feral cats, working at a community farm, working with wildlife, helping at the zoo, looking after injured animals and many more.
- Volunteering for people suffering from addiction. There are so many reasons why people become addicted, and so much more substances and things people become addicted to. Some suffer from drugs, some from alcohol, and some become addicted to computer and casino games. Volunteering with such vulnerable groups takes accuracy, patience, kindness and love. There are a lot of organisations which work with addicts and help them recover and get back to everyday life.
- Volunteering in church. Volunteering in church benefits members of the congregation and the church itself. Church volunteers help the church to do the work that staff members cannot accomplish. They use their time and talents for community service, fulfilling their desire to help others while ensuring the local church can direct more funds to its mission. There are many ways how you can help the church, including building up youth programs, hosting community events, setting up virtual services, working with children, helping to feed the poor etc.
- Volunteer with refugees. We live in a challenging and complicated world. There are many countries where people suffer from hunger, war, and poverty. In search of survival and better life, they become refugees. You can join different NGOs or organisations like UNHCR or UN to help with refugees. You travel abroad and work at a refugee camp or look for organisations near your home and start helping people.
Conclusion
The mentioned above types are the most common, but there are many other ways to help. It is not always an easy job to do, especially when you deal with people who were hurt, abused, and traumatised, and you get to know their horrors. Being mostly about benefits, volunteering helps both those who help and those who are helped.
