Give Back: Volunteer

Another look into your future possibilities might include a visit to the Volunteer Center of McHenry County, at http://www.volunteermchenrycounty.org

This is one-stop-shopping for finding the right place to give your abilities and time. Specific opportunities are described and they range from a request for a few hours to a long-term commitment. The organizations below are just a few of the places in need of your talents:

  • McHenry County PADS (Public Action to Deliver Shelter)
  • Animal Control and Adoption Center
  • School district mentoring programs
  • McHenry County Defenders
  • Youth Service Bureau
  • Turning Point Shelter
  • Food pantries
  • Crystal Lake Park District Nature Center
  • Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association
  • Lekotek: A toy lending and learning center for children with special needs
  • Health Clinics Faith in Action

You can also go directly to the organization if you want to pitch in and help. These sites list their own volunteer needs:

The Challenger Learning Center in Woodstock is an amazing place founded by the families of the Challenger Space Shuttle astronauts. The Center launches missions for students each week in simulators. See more on volunteering there at http://www.challengerillinois.org/ You can teach or tutor

English as a Second Language (ESL) teach or tutor through McHenry County College. Visit their website, http://www.mchenry.edu/ESL/index.asp

Heartland Blood Centers almost always need volunteers for blood drives. See how you can help Heartland with blood drives by visiting http://www.heartlandbc.org/vol_opp.html

The McHenry County Conservation District (MCCD) lists many possibilities for volunteering. See their website — http://www.mccdistrict.org — for information about:

  • Education Department Volunteers
  • Friends of the Fox River Monitors
  • Natural Resource Management Volunteers
  • Prairie Trail Safety Watch Volunteers
  • Trail of History Volunteers
  • Wildlife Resource Center Volunteers
  • Service Volunteer Opportunities
  • A single day commitment
  • A project commitment from start to finish, such as construction, surveys or larger restoration projects
  • Recurring service project, such as the Adopt-a-Trail program

The Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) can get you started if you’d like to share your business expertise in a volunteer capacity. Visit http://www.score.org/volunteer.html

The Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois, has volunteer opportunities too. See the options at their website, http://www.irm.org

Volunteer.gov/gov is a great resource if you're looking to go further with your newfound time. Visit the volunteer website — http://www.volunteer.gov/gov/index.cfm — and search by state for a wide variety of community service possibilities. Both indoor and outdoor positions are listed, including archeology, historic preservation and trail maintenance, or office and clerical, research, visitor information positions.

U.S. Forest Service has a variety of interesting volunteer opportunities. Their website — http://www.fs.fed.us/fsjobs/volunteers.html — states that “Your talents and skills are matched with your work… You may work on a part-time or full-time basis. You can participate in a one-time project or serve over several months, seasons, or year-round. The commitment you make is up to you. Training may be provided to you if your job requires it. If you are retired or have summers free, you may wish to live on a national forest while you work as a volunteer.”

The Peace Corps — did you think you were too old to join? It may surprise you, but the Peace Corps is actively seeking Baby Boomers, so this might just be the time to enroll for an activity you thought about over thirty years ago. Also, Peace Corps message board listings address the topic of boomers in the Peace Corps. See the national website at http://www.peacecorpsonline.org

U.S. National Parks also need volunteers, including campground hosts who usually receive a free campsite for their RV in exchange for performing host duties. Check out that possibility and others at http://home.nps.gov/applications/vips/opportunities.cfm