You may or may not know this, but last week, April 19-25, was National Volunteer Week. I must’ve had my head in the sand because I thought it was next week, and I do quite a bit of volunteering. Oops!

What is National Volunteer Week, you ask? Well, according to the same verbatim copy I’ve found on multiple sites online,

National Volunteer Week began in 1974 when President Richard Nixon signed an executive order establishing the week as an annual celebration of volunteering. Since then, every U.S. President has signed a proclamation promoting National Volunteer Week. Additionally, governors, mayors, and other elected officials make public statements and sign proclamations in support of National Volunteer Week.

Simultaneously taking place during National Volunteer Week, thousands of volunteers also participate in local community service projects.

I thought it was next week because my friend Julia, Director of Volunteer Services for Resource Genesee, has been working hard to put together and promote our area’s Volunteer Expo & Celebration, which is this Saturday, May 2nd.

There are many benefits of volunteering, other than the obvious fulfilling your probation or  “making a difference” in your community. Warm fuzzies are nice but they don’t pay the bills.  However, if you’re one of the many people today that are out of a job, there’s a good chance that volunteering your time and talents can lead to one. It did for Julia, and it could for you.

Even if you’re not looking for work, volunteering can help you “build your ark before you need it,” because you never know the contacts you’ll make. Yes, everyone knows I’m a big advocate for online social networking, but really, nothing compares to honest-to-goodness, face-to-face interaction with people.

I think Volunteer Week is a great idea, but we need to remember that volunteers are needed year-round, not just one week out of the year. And it’s not just helping out in soup kitchens — there are literally thousands of organizations in this country alone that could use your help — whatever you can give, whenever you can give — because a little goes a long way.

After the jump I’ve listed just a few of the many places online where you can go to find volunteering opportunities in your area, because while you’re here and reading this, you might as well check a couple out.

(I must warn you, though — if you have a weakness for all things cute and furry (like I do), lending at hand at the Humane Society might not be the best idea. A friend of mine in Cleveland did that some years ago and next thing you know, she had 17 cats in a one-bedroom apartment.)

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