5 fantastic opportunities to volunteer in the USA depending on what you like to do!

How to become a volunteer?

The volunteering opportunities are countless as well as the ways to help. Depending on what you like to do, it’s easy to find something that you can do. Here are 5 fantastic opportunities to volunteer in the USA.

#1 If you like being surrounded by animals:

Whether you choose to help a no-kill shelter or the local humane society, offering your help to either socialize the animals on site or better to temporarily welcome them into your home and become a foster family, it saves lives. And what a joy to see them coming out of their shell and discovering what it is to be pampered and loved. And maybe you will fall so much in love with them that you fill become a foster fail… 😊 Ask me, I already failed a few times!

Shelters have so many immediate needs and are desperately seeking new foster families. 

If you don’t feel like you can welcome a pet, you can also send them food or even DIY toys. 

Thanks to Petfinder, you can search nearly 14,000 shelters and rescue groups across North America for the ones nearest you.

You can also use our category “Volunteers” to highlight your favorite association and solicit MyNabes’ community for one-off or long-term assignments.

#2 If you like talking to elderly people: 

You want to give a little of your time without traveling and according to your availability. Become a volunteer caller and call isolated seniors. Give warm and regular phone calls to people who need to talk, exchange, share the time for a while. Not only will you help to break their isolation and loneliness but you will also see that these exchanges are rich in surprises, we have so much to learn from the stories.

A lot of associations like Life ElderCare in Northern California, Height and Hills in New-York  or Activate Good are looking for volunteers. 

You can also deliver them meals, drive them to the doctor and share precious moments they will cherish. 

# 3 If you like helping children:

All over the USA, countless kids need our support.

But one of the best ways to make a difference in the lives of children may be with time and energy. Volunteering as a coach, a tutor, a mentor, or even as a friend can give a child the comfort and confidence they need when going through a difficult time. 

Several associations are looking for volunteers. If you have coding skills, you can join Code for fun, a nonprofit organization, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, committed to exposing all students from K-12 to computer science at an early age. They offer after school programs, camps. Their programs are designed for all students, bridging gender and racial gaps, and encouraging them to consider academic and career paths in the engineering field.

Being a good reader is also essential and Reading Partners provides the support kids need. More than simply reading with a child, their volunteers follow a proven, structured curriculum to help students learn specific skills necessary to becoming proficient readers. 

#4 If you want to support people experimenting poverty and homelessness:

In 2021, there were about 552,830 homeless people living in the United States and there were 34.0 million people in poverty. Unfortunately, this rate will increase significantly with the covid-19 crisis.

For instance St. Anthony’s is a nonprofit organization providing free shelter, housing, meals, medical care, clothing and furniture, rehabilitation services, employment services and senior services to homeless and poor people. They serve over 3000 meals a day. They do a lot for homeless people or those experiencing poverty in San Francisco. They offer a lot of different programs if you want to help, from Dining room, Clothing program or Specialized Volunteering.

If you want to learn more about the volunteering opportunities in your area, go the nationalhomeless.org and find a local agency where you can volunteer. Your time is so valuable for people going through a very difficult time in their lives.

#5 If you want to share your skills with other:

Why not let others benefit from your talents and skills. Many associations are now looking for specific skills. You have children who play an instrument or like to sing, join the program “Let’s U-N-M-U-T-E and U-N-I-T-E !!“ who offers free concerts in nursing homes. 

You can also help your local businesses or local charity network with webdesign . A lot of local stores have had to switch to an e-commerce model, business owners need people who can create an appealing website, copywrite, and photograph products.

If you are a lawyer, you can also volunteer to help. No matter your practice or practice setting, there are opportunities for you. Find your legal aid agency on American Bar association website.

Maybe you’re a skilled tap, ballet, or hip-hop dancer. Offering virtual classes is a great way to lift people’s spirits and get them moving. Yoga and guided meditations can help them relax as well.

It is so important that we can count on each other in our communities.