Today, the New York Times has a great "special section" on giving. There are a ton of really interesting articles about volunteering, charitable giving, and nonprofits. It was so heartening to see a whole section of the Times devoted to that. I always feel inspired to volunteer as the frenetic pace of fall ends and the holiday season begins. I am so lucky to have so much; I can give of myself to others, many of whom have less, or are in less desirable circumstances. I realize that life can turn on a dime; I'd hope others would be there for me if my chips were down, so the least I can do is give now, while I have the resources to do so. I certainly donate money, and I like to combine that with a dose of manual labor here, some gardening there, some work with kids elsewhere.
Two ideas I got from today's article are to raise guide puppies for the blind and to send a care package to a soldier. I never supported the war in Iraq, but that doesn't mean that my heart doesn't go out to the soldiers there. I'd like to show just one of them that I care. From the Times, I found a website that has seemingly endless opportunities to do that:
http://155.7.40.58/AmericaSupportsYou/send_packages.html
On Volunteer Match (volunteermatch.org), I found a few good opportunities in the Delaware area--some naturalist options where I could use my teaching skills, and a few pet socialization opportunities. There are also some things at the library and with the Girl Scouts, which I've found on my own. Hopefully, the Volunteer Coordinator at Longwood Gardens will call me soon, too. It's great to feel that I have a little extra time to volunteer, but I've always done it. It's important to me. It's meaningful to give to the community, on many levels, and it makes you feel good!
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