Sometimes you just don’t want to leave home, especially when the weather is getting cooler and the days shorter. For me, once Halloween hits, I become much more of a homebody and find great pleasure in curling up with a good book, lighting a fire in the living room or catching up on the backlog of shows on my DVR.
But, the quickly approaching holiday season also makes me want to serve others. While always there, the needs of others somehow become more top of mind at this time of year and it seems everyone wants to lend a hand to help individuals and the organizations that serve them.
So, how can I, or you, fulfill both of these desires – to stay home, yet be of service? Fortunately, it’s actually pretty easy thanks to microvolunteering. As I explain in my Tips for Getting Involved, microvolunteering is essentially volunteering right from the comfort of your own home or anywhere else you have an Internet connection. The projects are found online and typically take under two hours to complete. It’s everything from giving non-profits advice on marketing plans to developing logos and so much more.
I did a really fun microvolunteering project last year, which you can check out here. It was easy, really fun and something totally different.
There are new websites popping up all the time that offer ways to serve from home in meaningful and impactful ways. Sparked, one of the leading sites for this sort of service has nearly 15,000 opportunities just waiting for someone like you to act on. Here are a few samplings of what’s needed:
- A small nonprofit, with just one employee, is looking for guidance on how to effectively and appropriately use social media to spread the word of their campaign
- A nonprofit that coordinates high-impact volunteer projects between local communities and vacationing or business trip professionals needs help designing an infographic that explains what the do
- A creative elementary school teacher is looking for help inspiring 3rd grade students to become better writers – all you need to do is provide some positive and helpful feedback
What’s also great about Sparked is you can see projects that have been successful, which shows how these relatively simple tasks can have an impact.
I recently discovered a new site, Help from Home, which is all about volunteering your time from home at your own convenience. Their tagline got my interest – “change the world in just your pajamas!” They offer more than 800 easy to take actions and participants have completed nearly 4,000 actions!
From playing games that help raise money for nonprofits or sharing images on social media to knitting hats for those in need or cleaning out your closet so others can have something to wear, there is something everyone can do to help from home. And, while you’re at it, share it on Help from Home’s Pinterest page – share what you do, it might inspire someone else to do it too!
If you are a home volunteer, I hope you’ll share your tips and stories with us here at Good Citizen. In the meantime, see what you can do from home this week, I promise to do the same!