Tag Archives: volunteer

Starting A Shelter: Getting the Community Involved

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Unless you have limitless financial resources and can do all the work yourself (trust me, you can’t!) your shelter is going to need community support. So how do you do it? Publicity is key. If no one knows about your shelter, no one can help you. Start a mailing list. Include your animal-loving friends and family. Ask your volunteers, workers, and board of directors for names and addresses, too! Keep a sign-up sheet available at your shelter and at all events to keep that mailing list growing. Keep your website current. A website that is never updated isn’t going to … Continue reading →

Starting A Shelter: The Basics

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If you’re an animal lover (like me), you may have pondered the possibility of opening your own shelter some day. In my imagination, I’ve got acres of land and herds of dogs, happily romping together while they wait for their forever homes. In reality, starting a shelter is a lot of work. The first thing to think about is all the different things a humane organization can do. Take in unwanted and stray animals. Rehome unwanted and stray animals. Educate the public about humane issues. Campaign for animal protection laws. Gather other animal lovers to the cause. Spay and neuter … Continue reading →

Volunteer Time as a Single Parent

I remember when I was first divorced. It was as if any spare time I had was gone. Between working, taking care of two small children, and trying to run a household, time was something precious and scarce. Eventually, I found a system, a rhythm of what worked best for my kids and me but my system was almost too good. Once I got the system down, I found that much of my time was being spent feeling depressed, lonely, or just downright sorry for myself. Typically, my free time was on the weekends when the kids were with their … Continue reading →

Volunteering With Your Kids

We recently volunteered at a local Youth and Women’s Alliance (a sort of independent YWCA). The activity was organized through my employer as part of the nationwide Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. It was a terrific day full of coloring with toddlers, playing basketball with tweens and cleaning, organizing and straightening the many bookshelves, supply closets, board games and puzzles lying around the place. In the words of Jimmy Valvano “It was a full day”. As anyone who has ever volunteered knows, there is a great sense of purpose and accomplishment that engulfs you after your work is … Continue reading →

Five Ways To Create Family Traditions This Holiday Season

In a recent blog I wrote about the brawl that broke out at our local Wal-Mart as hundreds of shoppers fought for the chance to shell out $600 for a new PlayStation 3 game console. Two men were sent to the hospital while others sustained minor injuries. Not exactly a great way to start off the holiday season… In many cases those expensive PlayStations will be scooped up by parents who don’t want their offspring to be disappointed come Christmas morning. It may seem trite, but the truth is families can have a far more meaningful and satisfying holiday without … Continue reading →

Creating New Holiday Traditions

With the holidays approaching, many people will be coordinating their work schedules to allow for some extra family time. Vacation time can be great for lounging on the couch, catching up with family members, and stuffing your face with holiday goodies. But, have you ever thought of putting that free time to use helping those less fortunate? For many families, volunteering is a holiday tradition that leaves them more satisfied than plates piled high with turkey and pumpkin pie. Helping hand out toys or soup to those in need–as a family–is a gift that truly keeps giving. In addition, volunteering … Continue reading →

Five Safe Alternatives for Halloween Activities

Halloween is coming soon. This means Halloween parties, trick or treating and lots of candy. You do need to exercise caution when going trick or treating. I remember the days when I would roam the neighborhood and return with a pillowcase full of candy. My parents and I did not worry about might be contained in the candy. It was a much simpler time. If you are concerned with Halloween, and trick or treating here are five safe and fun alternatives you can do instead of the traditional trick or treating. 1) Many malls and shopping centers offer candy for … Continue reading →

Service To Others

Service to others is one of my favorite assets. Parents and children can work together to serve others in the community. This helps to meet the needs of other people and reinforces the idea to children that they are not the center of the universe. Other people have needs that they can help to meet. When children see their parents involved in some type of activity outside of the house or their own family, they are more likely to be involved themselves. Parents with babies and toddlers may not be able to include these young children in their service projects. … Continue reading →

Home and Family: The Aftermath of Katrina

It’s been a year since Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast and left a wake of destruction. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to live through that storm and to lose everything in moments. Some people even lost people they love. One of the saddest things for me is the fact that as of reports this spring, over 800 people are still missing. I think not knowing, not having closure, may be worse than knowing your loved one is gone. The whole situation is devastating and the area is still devastated. It hurts me to see such chaos … Continue reading →

The Altruistic Child

How do you teach your toddler to understand the joy of giving? How do you incorporate kindness and acts of generosity into their daily life? It’s a process that may take years, but the time to start is when they are very young. You should begin by not expecting miracles and not condemning them for their natural needs to hold onto what is theirs. They are not being selfish or unkind, they are simply processing a series of steps that begins with understanding possession so they can understand giving. Traditions For as long as I can remember, every Christmas, my … Continue reading →