Give a helping hand: Volunteer

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Give a helping hand: Volunteer

Posted on 13 Jul 2010

We all have such busy lives--work, family, chores--that finding time to volunteer seems impossible. However, did you know that in 2009, 63.4 million Americans contributed 8.1 billion (yes, BILLION) hours of service? If that many people can put in that much time, what's your excuse? Let's just pretend for a moment that you have a couple of free hours this week. What to do with them? Well, you could say take a nap, mow the lawn, give the dog a bath or fold laundry. But none of that sounds like a whole lotta fun.

So, here's a few reasons why you should take those free hours and volunteer.

Volunteering can:

help you learn or develop a new skill

Yes, you can teach old dogs new tricks.

help you feel connected to your community

If you're new to the area or just feel like you've lost touch with your neighborhood there's no better way to feel like you belong.

help boost your career options

Do you feel like you need a career change? Volunteering is the simplest and most effective way to test the waters of a new career.

help you meet new people and make new friends

Odds are you won't make a whole lot of new friends while mowing your yard--unless you want to count that swarm of bees after you since you grazed their nest with the lawn mower, in which case who needs enemies when you've got friends like that?

Notice a recurring theme up there? Everything begins with help. So if you happen to find yourself with a few extra hours in the day, week, month or even year, help out your local organization by voluteering. And most importantly you'll help yourself.

Whether your specialty is speaking, greeting, coordinating, clerical or operational, the perfect volunteer opportunity is waiting for you (or your group!) at AETN.

For information about how you can volunteer for AETN's August Pledge, visit the AETN Foundation website or call our Volunteer/Internship Coordinator, Kristy Garrett, at 501-682-4159 or e-mail at kgarrett@aetn.org