I don’t feel like there is any better feeling than giving back to the community! I wish i had the time (and i admit it, energy) to do SO MUCH MORE. It is always an amazingly rewarding experience. I admit that at the end of the day there is nobody that I can blame besides myself but that is one thing I really want to change over the rest of 2014.
I work for a company that really supports the growth of their local communities. They encourage each of us to get out, volunteer, and they allow us to do it while getting paid! You can’t beat that?! Each year we have two major events that they really encourage as many of us that can get out and help to do so. As an administrative assistant there aren’t any places that i usually have to be so it works out for me to attend. We do a joint venture with out local food bank during the annual HARVEST FOR HUNGER activities and then we do quiet a bit with UNITED WAY a couple of times throughout the year. Our main event helping clean up the community in the summer.
I spent a lot of my time wrapped up in work, friends, family, fanlistings, and various other things that although they are important to me there really are so many much more important things that we could be worrying about. Now – i’m not out of touch with reality. I can’t stop doing everything that i enjoy to spend all my time volunteering but giving at least an evening or afternoon a month won’t hurt.
I’ve applied to volunteer at our gay network in the local community but i never hear back. I got a letter a couple of months back stating that they were being taken over by a new group and that the volunteer database would be cleaned end up. Well.. that never happened. I sent a response saying how i was willing to participate and my organization was in full support. A gentleman responded and said that people would be following up and of course nobody did.
Does anybody else volunteer on a regular basis?
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Gay communities get bad reputations. I know of several volunteers who ended up making out with the high schooler they were mentoring rather than helping. That makes me sad. Unfortunately, a lot of gay guys use these gay support or help groups to hook up, or meet a guy. That’s not really what they’re designed for, though.
I grew up in a Children’s Home, so helping children has always been important to me. I used to volunteer as a Big Brother for a kid in the community. What you do is take them bowling, take them to the park, play sports with them, and just be there for them. I want to look into getting back into that. When you’re gay, it’s harder to be a Big Brother or Big Sister because you have to tell the family you’re gay and they have to accept it and be okay with you taking their child. It’s always rubbed me the wrong way, because being gay has never been the most important thing in my life, and it’s not even something I tell everyone. Many of my coworkers don’t even know I’m gay. We shouldn’t have to tell the world we’re gay.
Sorry, I went off on a tangent. Anyway, it’s great that you want to volunteer! I’m sure you’ll find something great. Just think about what’s important to you, what you’re passionate about, and find a way to help there.