Finding joy in volunteer work

This post on volunteering is sponsored by Reward Volunteers.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”
~Winston Churchill

Volunteer work

It’s been said many times in different ways that when you choose to do work you enjoy, you will never have to work a day in your life. The same philosophy applies to volunteer work.

My kids were heavily involved with researching which organizations would be a good fit for our family and our passions. If you have a passion for gardening, then you might enjoy volunteering to plant trees in your community. If you have a passion for being with children, then you might enjoy volunteering for youth organizations. In my case, when you have a passion for animals, children, and people who have served our country in the military, then Freedom Service Dogs is the perfect volunteer match-up for my family and me.

Freedom Service Dogs

Freedom Service Dogs is an organization that unleashes the potential of shelter dogs by transforming them into custom-trained, life-changing assistance dogs for people in need. Their clients include children, veterans and active duty military, and other adults. Their disabilities include autism, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

These future canine companions learn to open doors, pick up items, pull wheelchairs, go for help, turn on lights, and know more than 50 other commands. The dogs help to enhance social interaction for clients and assist in programs for humane education, disabilities awareness, character development for at-risk youth, and rehabilitation therapy.

Freedom Service Dogs rescues dogs from shelters and rescue groups in various parts of the country. There are plenty of unwanted dogs in shelters that are eager to get that second chance and a new career.

With dedicated training these rescue dogs become heroes to persons with disabilities, transforming their lives forever. Freedom Service Dogs matches each dog to their new partner and custom trains the dog to do the specific tasks required by each individual. The organization also provides lifetime support through contact with clients to provide annual recertification for the service dog and give hands-on support in new skill development.

As part of my volunteer work with Freedom Service Dogs, my family and I serve as a foster family for the dogs on weekends and over holiday breaks. Because the dogs work hard all week learning their new career skills, they need an opportunity to decompress in a family environment away from the stress of the facility and their kennels. Would you want to stay in your office on weekends and holidays?

To begin volunteering, we were required to attend a series of volunteer orientations and trainings. Because these dogs are doing some serious work through the week, we were required to learn the commands that their trainers use and to practice those commands with them while the dogs are in our home. While we have the dogs in our home, we are free to play and cuddle with them, take them for walks, and let them just chill out like a member of the family. If the dogs have had some leash training, we get to take them on walks and hikes!

Reward Volunteers program

To help you find an organization that enables you to share your passion and make the world a better place, visit Reward Volunteers. This website can help you find volunteer opportunities in your community.

Reward Volunteers is a site that allows you to log your volunteer hours, keep track of your volunteer activity, and see the contribution you are making to the world. You can win prizes for the hours you log or you can win cash prizes for your organization.

Organizations can also increase their chances to win simply by encouraging their volunteers to participate in and use the volunteer tracking and rewards system with Reward Volunteers.

Because my family has moved frequently in the last few years and because we are just about to move to another state, I have utilized Reward Volunteers to find some possible volunteer opportunities in my new community. My two boys have even used the Reward Volunteers website to find an organization for which we can volunteer as a family.

Make the world a better place

Combine your passions with your volunteer work. Gather your family or a group of friends and spend the day giving back to your community. Use Reward Volunteers to log your volunteer hours, keep track of your volunteer activity, and win prizes for making the world a better place.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
~Helen Keller

Charmin Calamaris

Charmin is a wife, mom of two boys and creator of the Momiverse. The Momiverse is an online magazine for busy moms (is there any other kind?) dedicated to helping moms make time – and take time – for themselves. She traded in her career in land use planning and environmental policy to become Chief Executive Navigator of the Momiverse. You can connect with Charmin in her "online office" on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

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