Whatever the occasion -- Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah,
Kwanzaa, or simply the arrival of the New Year --‘tis the
season for creating new memories and building on old
traditions. To make this season even more memorable,
consider spreading goodwill through volunteer service.
Thanks to the Internet, and a nonprofit Web site called
VolunteerMatch, finding an organization in need of volunteer
help has never been easier. VolunteerMatch is dedicated to
bringing community service organizations and volunteers
together.
The simplicity of the VolunteerMatch service has already
helped more than 30,000 nonprofits post tens of thousands of
volunteer opportunities online. As a result, VolunteerMatch
has generated nearly 2 million new volunteer referrals to
these organizations since 1998.
"VolunteerMatch made it so much easier for me,"
says Ruth Gonzalez of Glen Ellyn, Ill., who now volunteers
at a local hospital. "Rather then having to make calls
and go driving around, all I had to do was put my name in
and what I was looking for."
Visitors to the site simply enter their ZIP code at
www.VolunteerMatch.org to find local opportunities.
Volunteers can also search by interest, date and keyword to
generate a personally customized list. Once an opportunity
of choice is found, the volunteer simply clicks on it to
contact the organization and get involved.
Any nonprofit or tax-exempt organization can list
volunteer opportunities on VolunteerMatch. Participating
nonprofit organizations have found that the service
streamlines their volunteer recruitment efforts.
"Volunteer Match is really doing important work,
providing a free, tremendous tool for the entire nation of
nonprofits," says Anna Land, cofounder and president of
Texas-based Heart House, a free afterschool program
dedicated to providing a safe haven and academic support to
low-income children. "We get nearly 80 percent of our
volunteers from VolunteerMatch. Needless to say, we at Heart
House are big fans!"
The VolunteerMatch service is without cost for both
volunteers and nonprofits. VolunteerMatch relies upon grants
from charitable foundations for most of its funding, and
also licenses its technology to companies like Charles
Schwab, Dell, and Target to make it easier for employees to
volunteer. The revenue derived from corporate licenses
preserves VolunteerMatch's financial stability, and
strengthens its capacity as an effective public service --
one of the few online social services available.
So whether you can spare an hour a week, a day per week,
or a week per year, you can make an important contribution.
Donate to a food bank, shop for toys for needy children,
serve food at the local soup kitchen, mentor a child,
clean-up the local park. Regardless of how you decide to get
involved, nothing beats the combination of holiday spirit
and volunteer service.
If you're ready to make a difference, visit
VolunteerMatch at www.volunteermatch.org. You’ll make your
holidays -- and the holidays of those in-need -- shine that
much brighter.
Courtesy of ARA Content
