How Can You Make a Difference in Your Community and Connect with Your Neighbors? Volunteer!

By: Jessica Schmidt, Philanthropy Manager, NHS of Baltimore

At NHS of Baltimore we just welcomed three VISTA members who will be working with us for their year of service. Since all three of our VISTAs are coming from out of town, it got me thinking, what is a great way to get to know people in the community when you are new in town? You can join like-minded clubs, or sports leagues, but in my opinion volunteering is one the best ways to get to know your new community.

I think Benjamin Franklin said it best when he said, “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden for someone else”. In this economy and in these tough times, so many people and organizations need help of some kind. Not only will your volunteer time help an organization to reach its goals, but it is also a great way to get out and meet people; and since they are volunteering for the same organization as you, you'll probably have similar interests.

So where to begin? Think about what causes you are most passionate about and causes that you would want to directly work with in order to make a difference. Also, think about what you want to do as a volunteer and what capacity you can fill for a nonprofit. In Baltimore, it seems like the sky is the limit for volunteer opportunities, you can volunteer at an animal shelter, you can serve breakfast to homeless women, you can help campaign for the environment, you can tutor a child- really whatever peaks your interest you can probably find a volunteer position to fill it.

Once you have an idea as to what you would like to do, check out websites such as Baltimore Volunteer Central, Volunteer Match, and Idealist http://www.idealist.org/, or just take a stroll around your neighborhood. If you know of a nonprofit you want to help, check out their website or give them a call. Many nonprofits are struggling in this economy and will welcome all the help they can get.

In these tough times it is important to remember that we are all in this together and we can all work to make Baltimore a better place to live. For those of you that are new to Baltimore, welcome! We look forward to getting to know you better.