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Great Way to Get To Know and to Give Back to Your CityA
Great Way to Get To Know and to Give Back to Your City
September 2005 - For many area students, it is not enough to get
their work study check and blow it on beer, lounging around campus just
waiting for something really extraordinary to happen. For many area students,
extraordinary things are happeninag everyday because they are making them
happen, bringing about positive changes in their communities. Wondering
where you can sign up? Wondering if there really is a positive volunteering
experience out there just waiting for you to snatch it up and plop it
down on your resume? Well, thePulse is about to provide you with a comprehensive
guide to organizations in your city that could greatly
benefit from your volunteer hours. So read on and discover opportunities
that can enrich both your life and the lives of others.
If it’s those living with deadly disease who really strikes a chord
with you, feel free to contact AIDS Project Worcester in order to truly
get your hands involved in the helping process. Complete with both outreach
and care services, the nonprofit organization’s work also includes
a food bank for persons and families of persons struggling with the HIV/Aids
virus (http://www.aidsprojectworcester.org/Involved/).
They offer educational internships, too.
For a more general way to get involved with humanitarian aid, The American
Red Cross is out there in Worcester doing what they do best and could
certainly use your help. With a rich history of helping the world, the
organization seeks to assist your community both in the event of a disaster
and in making the everyday hardships a little bit easier on local folks
(http://www.redcrossworcester.org/volunteer/).
If helping the kiddies out is more your style, there are nonprofits aimed
at helping area youth all over. The Boys and Girls Club of Worcester is
always looking for mentors to augment their programs in a variety of fields
of education and recreation. With everything from the Arts to Sports,
the club is a friendly, safe place that provides kids with positive role
models that help them become active and engaged citizens (www.bgcworcester.org/).
Many high schools in the area are also in need of mentors ~ North High
School in Worcester is a perfect example. Contact the high school closest
to your home base and chances are that they could use your assistance
in a field of your
choosing.
Working
with the homeless or those that need temporary shelter may be the most
rewarding job for some students because the work often brings immediate,
tangible results. The Florence House (12 George St. in Worcester) serves
as a shelter for both women and children and is always seeking confidential
and honest volunteers to work with both groups.
If you and your friends want to get together and share the positive experience
of helping, head on over to the Worcester County Food Bank and volunteer
for the afternoon. Be sure to check them out on the web and to fill
out a volunteer form at www.foodbank.org/homepage.php.
They appreciate groups coming in and helping out as long as the group
does not exceed twelve persons.
If you’re more inclined to work solo, you can just head on over by yourself. Rachel's Table also provides food distribution services to area families and is always looking for van drivers to deliver the goods (http://www.rachelstable.com/).
For those more politically minded, the grassroots organization Neighbor
to Neighbor brings together the power and benefits of democratic thinking
in a low income neighborhood with the heart of a local revitalization
project. Their website describes their weighty and goodhearted political
and local leadership agendas in a comprehensive way, so check them out
at www.n2n.org.
If teaching others about the environment and helping to encourage more urban-minded folks to enjoy the magic and complexities of the natural world seems like something that might light your fire, check out the Ecotarium for great volunteer opportunities. They provide a wealth of positions throughout the facility, including some inside of the classroom (http://www.ecotarium.org/).
Lastly, if you’d like to actually work in the great outdoors, you might want to check out Broadmeadow Brook Sanctuary, especially if you have limited time to volunteer. On the first Saturday of every month they have a trail crew that cleans up the many aread of their protected land. Located at 414 Massasoit Road, they also have positions available for their visitor center. Worcester is a hub of bustling non-profit, humanitarian activity ~ the above suggestions are only a small sampling of all the different ways in which you can pitch in to help your community and its individual members. While many students do not feel like this is their community because they only live here for four years, for that period of time the city really should become their home and should be respected as such. Diving into the nooks and crannies of your city will serve a twofold purpose: You will get to know its complex and unique character and you will have the opportunity to leave behind positive marks of humanitarianism and caring.
Interested in getting involved in radio?
Radio Worcester will welcome any motivated and responsible individuals
interested in developing programming for Radio Worcester. What this means
is Radio Worcester will sponsor such individuals by covering the cost
of bandwidth for them to reach the world and by paying all due royalties
to the SoundExchange (RIAA), BMI, ASCAP and SECA. We would love to develop
a significant student element and will gladly provide any technical training
necessary. Please contact
jimmymac@radioworcester.com for more information.