Vacation Volunteering

We're pretty sure we can all agree that Fairfield County had a rough winter, which only makes the excitement of summer that much more palatable. We've dug out of the snow, the ice has melted, and it's time for vacation! Whether you're spending your summer days on Long Island Sound or someplace far more exotic, you'll likely have some gaps in between the beach parties and barbecues. We have a way to occupy that time: Why not volunteer?

We know volunteering may not be what instinctively comes to mind during vacation time, but if you're part of the groundswell of people contributing to the rising interest in volunteering, there's no better time to do it. We've spoken at length about the potential juggling act when balancing work and volunteering, and the best part about summer is having none of that stress. You'll be able to volunteer without nervously looking at the clock, and being able to volunteer for more hours will only make your agency that much happier.

You may assume that volunteer agencies aren't actively recruiting over the summer; this couldn't be further from the truth. Summer is actually when agencies tend to need volunteers the most; summer programs at many agencies are usually in effect and full-time agency employees make take vacation time of their own.

Or if you're looking for a friends and family activity - why not volunteer as a group? You don't have to fly solo; we always see group-based or day-long activities where large numbers of people are required, often for setting up or managing some sort of festival or show. Even in office environments like AmeriCares or the American Cancer Society, agencies are often laid back environments where employees aren't afraid to have fun.

Volunteering does provide is real, tangible experience for either school or work. If you're in school, consider seeing if you can get credit hours for volunteering (talk to your Dean and your agency supervisor). Alternatively, if you're in the professional workforce, you can apply those skills to the workplace. Nothing will make a boss happier than knowing you learned something over the summer.

The biggest challenge, in our experience, is finding out where to volunteer, even on a local level. Fortunately, if you're a Fairfield County resident, VolunteerSquare has organized the volunteer opportunities of more than a hundred nonprofit agencies just for you. Find exactly what you want, especially as tons of volunteer opportunities are posted for summer. Check it out and be sure tosign up for our free custom e-alerts so we can keep you posted on the volunteer opportunities that matter most to you. We're on Facebook and Twitter, too.