Let the spirit of charity inspire you to contribute your time and talents to a worthy cause. To help get you started, we've compiled a list of suggestions.
Visit the Elderly
Find a retirement community in your local phone book and give them a call. Ask to speak to the events coordinator (or to someone responsible for organizing social activities). This person should be able to identify a resident who would most appreciate a visit. You may meet the senior in his or her room, or perhaps in a dining area or lobby. Extend your hand, introduce yourself and then — follow your intuition. You may not get a word in edgewise, as your new friend might talk about anything from Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak in 1941 to the last episode of "Touched by an Angel." Or maybe you will do most of the talking. The important thing is to feel comfortable and make a connection.
Read a Book to the Blind
Are you looking forward to reading the new Harry Potter book? Or maybe you can't wait for the next Danielle Steel. Whatever your literary tastes, you can share the pleasure of a good story by volunteering to record an audio book for the blind. Many associations for the blind offer audio books to their patients, clients or members. If you like to read, and you can find an association that needs this kind of help, it may just be a match made in heaven.
Teach
All of us have talents and interests, and there is perhaps no better way to give of ourselves than to share what matters most to us with others. Perhaps yours is an artistic talent, such as painting, knitting or playing a musical instrument. Or maybe your hobby is more practical; you may, for example, know a thing or two about fixing a car. Whatever your interest, there is most likely someone close by — in your neighborhood, at a nearby elementary school or junior high school, in a nursing home, or at a homeless shelter (the list goes on and on) — who would appreciate your tutelage.
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