We often thing of a hobby as something we do for our own individual desires. But wouldn't it be great if we could find a way to enjoy ourselves as well as help others? A great solution to this problem is volunteering.

​

There are so many places you can volunteer to help your community. These include animal shelters, child care centers, and nursing homes. Other good places to visit are charities, such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

​

If you're interested in giving your time, think about what you enjoy the most. Is it working with people, children, or animals? Is it helping to solve a greater cause, such as cancer research or world hunger? Looking inside yourself can illuminate your path in the world of volunteering.

​

One of the biggest misconceptions about volunteering is that it takes a lot of time. You can spend as much or as little time as you want helping others! Anything from an hour to 10 hours helps. Although you don't have to, after you spend a lot of time somewhere, you may like it enough to be there every day.

​

The sense of well-being that comes from volunteering is unmatched. When you focus your energies on other people instead of yourself, everyone benefits. There's no shortage of problems in today's society, but at least if we use our free time to help others, we're doing all that we can. Get involved, get interested, and get happy. You'll be glad you did.