A couple of years ago, there were heavy floods in the city I live in, many homes in the low lying areas got severely affected. There was a lot of community activity in organizing help for those whose houses got affected. I participated in them - tore up walls and floors that got wet, crawled under mobile homes and removed insulation, helped people move stuff.

Another time, I participated in a school kids career counseling event (it was a one day event)

For quite some time, I used to attend the meetings of a local NGO involved with energy conservation. Helped them collect over 200 signatures for a petition. The petition was presented to the Governor of Indiana for increasing energy efficiency of government buildings. I think I was the highest or the second highest collector of signatures.

Also helped them a bit with their website - back then my skills were too basic though.

I also keep cheerleading my mom :). She helps a few kids with their school/college education. There have been times when some abuse those good intentions and trust and she gets disappointed. I keep telling her to soldier on (not that she can't without me telling) and that these are opportunities to learn how to select better.

I wish I could participate more often. Hopefully, once my goals are on track and self-sustainable...

Thanks for your reply. No disasters here currently (thankfully) but I will check out energy efficiency related groups here. Hmm, can you explain "helps a few kids with their school/college education"? Do you mean financially or do you mean teaching or something else?

No, she doesn't have the patience to teach them personally! :)

It was financial.

Its basically the kids of people who work at their house (the government provides them to my dad), of very low income employees in my dad's office and such. She has also funded the education of a few distant relatives who couldn't afford college education. In these cases, the kids had aspirations, some of them were real good hard workers, but the parents were in a really bad position financially. They could not afford to fund good tutoring (which is required for entrance into decent technical colleges here) or fund the college education itself.

She funded their kids' annual tutoring or college fees for the duration of that tutoring or college degrees.

One of my new years resolutions for 2010 was to volunteer and help a stranger. Living in Chicago, I went to www.chicago-cares.org and tried two different events. 1) Read to kids at a battered women's shelter. 2) Worked at a food pantry.

I had wanted to do something like that for years, but was unsure of how I could actually help. It turns out that you don't need any special skills to help someone. All you need is a little time. Working at the battered women's shelter was a great experience. I got to see how just being present meant the world to someone who didn't even know me. Working at the food pantry was another eye opener and gave me a different perspective on things.

I also gave blood for the first time at Lifesource. That was pretty cool and didn't take very long.

Check out www.idealist.org for a nationwide search on volunteer opportunities.

Goodluck!

Right, there are many online sites where one can sign up. They keep sending e-mails to inform you of opportunities to sign up for volunteering activities.

When I was in FL I had signed up here http://www.metromin.org/

I still keep getting emails about these activities.

*typo - www.chicagocares.org is the correct URL.

I help with a youth community center. Our "big project" is a weekly funtime/dinner where we pick up kids from the Section 8 housing complexes and take them to the center. We get food donations from Panera Bread (great organization) to send home with them. We also have video games and some non high tech games so they can just be kids. A lot of the kids don't get to be kids in their situation. We'll sometimes have kids come to us and say things like "my dad told me to come to this so I could have a big hot dinner." I hope to never have to tell my son or daughter that, then send them out on a bus/van with a stranger.

It really puts things into perspective. As fulfilling as hacking and entrepreneurship is, sometimes getting free bread matters more.

That is interesting. Maybe I should check with the local youth center(s?) too if I can help in some way.

It invigorates you like none other. Steve Jobs is known for religious-like energy in his actions, and helping out with programs that make a difference, even if they're secular creates that level of commitment and energy. It's exciting.

A service club such as Kiwanis, Lions, or Rotary is one way to help address needs in your local community and to participate in larger initiatives such as Rotary's Polio Plus.

http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/Polio/Pages/ri...

Service clubs also provide an excuse toget away from the office and meet people active in civic life.

Thanks for all the answers folks! I have now applied to a mental health institute and waiting for their answer :)