Volunteer Opportunities in Your Community

A volunteer is a person who chooses to do something to help others or improve their quality of life. There is no financial gain for the volunteer. The gratitude of helping complete a project is usually what the person gains when volunteering.

Benefits

Volunteering can help you become a great job applicant. For example, by volunteering, it: 

• Helps you learn new skills.
• Gives you real-life experience.
• Gives you a chance to explore career fields.
• Opens you up to networking.
• Increases your self-confidence.
• Gives you things to share in your resume and interview.

However, volunteering is mainly about helping others. When you volunteer, you can feel confident that you are making a difference in your community. Watching your community flourish from the skills and efforts of the team of volunteers is the real reward.

Getting Started

Before you start, ask yourself a few questions. What is your goal? What is driving you? Do you want to:

• Learn more about a specific industry?
• Learn new skills?
• Fill a need in your community by sharing your skills?

Also, decide what type of work you would like to do. Ask yourself if you would rather:

• Interact with people?
• Work independently on a project?
• Work with a group on a project?
• Advise behind the scenes?

Finally, think about how much time you can commit to volunteering. Be honest, and don't take on more than you can handle. Make sure you'll be able to dedicate the time needed to volunteer alongside your other responsibilities.

When you're ready, start contacting volunteer sites. Follow these steps when contacting sites:

• Set up a meeting or interview.
• Find out what will be involved and expected of you as a volunteer.
• Learn about the organization's mission, and what they hope to accomplish. If you can find a cause that matches your own, you will be a more effective volunteer.
• Fill out any needed applications.
• Set up an additional interview if needed for the job.

Volunteer Ideas

When it comes to volunteering, the possibilities are endless! Whatever you're skilled at, there's probably an opportunity for you to "give back." Here are a few examples of programs and activities you can volunteer for in Illinois:

• Community gardening.
• Charity events.
• Habitat for Humanity.
• Local food pantry.
• Local homeless shelter.
• Neighborhood watch programs.
• Red Cross.
• Town cleanup.
• Volunteer firefighting.
• Hospitals assistance.
• Library assistance.
• Hospital, library, and school volunteer programs.

To learn more about volunteer openings in Illinois, be sure to check out Serve Illinois.

The Department of Children's and Family Services (DCFS) also has volunteering opportunities from mentoring, tutoring, coaching, and more. Learn more on their Volunteer page on their site.

Tax Credits

Volunteers are not paid, but they may receive tax credits for costs. For example, you might be able to deduct your travel expenses if they are strictly volunteer-related. These expenses include gas, meals, lodging, and transportation.