Tag: volunteer tips

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3 Ways to Volunteer from Home

woman volunteering from home on her laptop drinking a latte

Volunteering can be done in many different ways and it is important to know that you do not have to physically be somewhere to volunteer. There is no clear-cut way to volunteer and you can decide how you want to volunteer based upon your personal needs and the circumstances in your life. If you want to volunteer from the comfort of your own home, below are three of the many ways you can volunteer remotely.

Crisis Text Line

Crisis Text Line is a great way to make a difference from the comfort of your home. Crisis Text Line allows volunteers to answer texts from individuals who may be going through a crisis. The volunteers engage in active listening, collaborative problem-solving, and safety planning to calm down the individual. Volunteering with Crisis Text Line has many benefits, one being that you learn how to engage in active listening and empathy. One last important thing to note is that trainings are free to volunteers.

Translators Without Borders

Translators Without Borders (TWB) helps translate texts and other written work in different languages to help overcome language barriers. Their goal is to close language gaps that impede important international and humanitarian development efforts across the world. In order to become a volunteer with this organization, you must be fluent in at least one language other than your native language. However, if you are not bilingual, they have other volunteer opportunities that are needed as well, such as project managers, web page designers, and more.

Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes is a free mobile app that allows volunteers to give assistance to those who are blind or low-sighted. At Be My Eyes, volunteers engage in a live video call with whoever they are assisting to help guide the user in the right direction or to answer a pressing question. There are currently 204,288 blind and low-vision users on the app right now waiting for people like you to join the community.

Dr. Barbara R Edwards practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and also serves as Medical Director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center.

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Volunteer Opportunities for the Disabled

mother father and disabled son hugging

There are people who think that disabled people can only be the recipient of volunteerism and not the benefactor, but this ideology is just not true. Volunteering is beneficial to every person no matter their age, race, gender, or disability. Although there are obstacles that disabled people may face while volunteering, such as inaccessibility of volunteer locations or lack of transportation, there are many opportunities out there for those who are disabled or handicapped that want to volunteer. Some examples of volunteer opportunities for the disabled include:

  • Serving meals at soup kitchens
  • Stocking shelves at food pantries
  • Preparing and providing meals to seniors
  • Cleaning up parks and helping keep communities beautiful
  • Volunteering at animal shelters
  • Volunteering at nursing homes

People choose to volunteer every day to obtain new skills, build their confidence, and gain work experience. Volunteering is a great way to better yourself and build connections and networks of support. If you are interested in learning more about the volunteerism opportunities in your community, contact your local government, or do a quick online search! The volunteer possibilities are endless.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, Princeton internist practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and also serves as Medical Director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center.