Where to start?: Volunteering

[LittleMeDreamsBig]

I may have a silly question but where are you guys volunteering? I want to round out my resume and I feel like it would be really helpful for scholarship applications but I sort of feel lost on where to start. Please tell me I am not the only one....

[ThatOneDude822]

Are you exclusively looking for volunteering in healthcare, or are you just looking for volunteering in general?

As far as healthcare goes, hospitals and LTC facilities generally have volunteering programs. Where I live, the hospitals are competitive to volunteer at, and they only take applications a few times a year. However, our LTC facilities will generally take all the help they can get. You can try contacting hospitals/LTC facilities in your area and inquire about volunteering opportunities.

As far as non healthcare opportunities, the animal shelters seem to be a popular choice for volunteering. If you live in a smaller city/town, there may be some community events that you could volunteer at.

I hope you find what you're looking for!

[verene, MSN]

For health care options - I volunteer with a local hospice program, and am putting in an application to volunteer with a local hospital. If you are interested/willing to work in hospice it is a great place to volunteer. I believe that hospice programs are mandated to have a specific percentage of staff hours come from volunteer staff, so there are always openings.

Hospitals typically have volunteer programs, but they may be competitive depending on where you live. Nursing homes/Assisted living facilities, adult day centers, and community health programs may also take volunteers - particularly if you have skills that you can use with the residents (lead art group, gardening, pet therapy, music etc.) or administrative skills.