Resources

Helping Out Locally

Many times we want to make a difference in our local communities. You may get connected with opportunities through friends, work, or neighbors. Or you may be looking for new opportunities to make an impact. Here are some resources that might help you get started:

Volunteer – Check out volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood. Type in your city or zip code for a list of volunteer needs. Or use these sites to post volunteer needs for your projects.
Volunteer Match: http://www.volunteermatch.org
Care2 Volunteer Search: http://volunteer.care2.com

Serve on a Non-Profit Board – Serving on a Board of Directors can be a great opportunity to both help others and gain leadership experience. Many communities have a Board Bank to connect you with a non-profit that may be good fit for your skills; your local United Way chapter is a good place to start to help identify opportunities. Visit http://www.liveunited.org/myuw to connect to your local chapter.

Create a Community – Connect with other like-minded people online and take action together. Create a new community on MySpace or Facebook with others in your neighborhood that want to help out. Organize a project and leverage your new connections to make a difference.

Do you have other ideas or resources to share? What are you doing to make an impact in your community? Feel free to leave your comments below.