Fall is an exciting time of year. Schools and colleges open for the new year, the leaves change, and we all know that the holidays are just a few short months away. They’re also a great time to volunteer and donate your time to a worthwhile cause.
Helping others is a great way to remind yourself how lucky you are, and it’s been proven to improve mental health and well-being. So, while you’re giving your time to help others, you’re also helping yourself! Here are a few great ways to volunteer this fall and make a difference in your community.
1. Serve Thanksgiving Dinner
Most larger cities and towns have at least one organization that offers thanksgiving dinner to people who otherwise might not have one. Those organizations always need people to help cook and serve the meal, and it’s a fantastic way to spend a few hours giving back.
2. Visit the Elderly
Sadly, the elderly is one of the most forgotten groups this time of year, and with the days getting shorter and darker, it’s when they need companionship the most. Volunteering your time to spend time with seniors in long-term care facilities is a great way to help people find a little joy.
3. Volunteer In Children’s Hospitals
While the elderly might be lonely at this time of year, kids in hospitals need a little cheer in their lives all year round. Volunteer to spend time with kids, whether it’s playing games or music or planning a hospital Halloween party. It all makes a huge difference!
4. Give Time to Animal Shelters
Unfortunately, there’s no quiet time for animal shelters, so fall, winter, summer and spring are all good times to lend a hand. Shelters need people to feed, walk and play with animals all year round, and it’s a great way to volunteer if you love animals.
5. Support a Political Cause
It might seem like politics has endless funding for everything they could possibly need, but the truth is, most political organizations run on volunteers. Whether it’s volunteering to help with elections or for a particular campaign or event, this is a great way to support the political organizations you believe in.
Giving Back Gives You More
Whether it’s making lifelong networking collections or just being able to go to bed at night knowing that you made a difference in someone’s life, there are so many reasons why volunteering in the fall is a great way to spend some free time.
If you have your hopes set on a career with a major company, this is also a great way to get on their radar. Major corporations, including tech companies, law firms and fortune 500 companies around the country, all donate time and money to all kinds of worthy causes. You never know when volunteering to caddy a charity golf tournament or being an usher at a corporate-sponsored charity event might be the thing that gets your foot in the door.
But the truth is that no matter what volunteering can do for your future or career, there’s nothing like the feeling it will give you right now.
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