I am on the advisory council for our local Area Agency on Aging, and also work as a Peer Counselor for a non-profit agency. Several friends deliver for Meals on Wheels. Others are volunteers at the Aquarium or docents at the historical park. One friend trained his dog to be a Therapy dog and he visits hospitals and nursing home.

What are your interests? There's bound to be something great for you!

Thanks for the ideas, sushipup. Anyone else?

This is a pretty slow forum. You might try Kitchen Table, where lots of people check in every day.

We've done so many different things over the years. Having just moved to a different area, and DH only retiring less than a month ago, we haven't gotten involved in much at the new house yet.

But some of the things we've done in the past: volunteered at the elementary school, raised puppies for the Seeing Eye, visited/took treats to nursing homes, got Christmas gifts and stockings for all the babies at the local AIDs Hospice, adopted pets whose owners had died, 4-H. We've often heard of families who have hit hard times--we put together a box (including some food and gc to places like grocery stores and Target) and drop it off annonymously.

Other ideas: make dinners for the local Ronald McDonald House, volunteer in the court system (I'm anxious to give that one a try), walk dogs at the local shelter, volunteer at the hospital (especially VA), do crafts with the residents at your local assisted living, help out at the library,--there are so many different places where your time and energy--no matter how much you have to spare--will be much appreciated.

If you worked in the corporate world or government and are a good writer, you could help people with their resumes. A lot of Veterans and people with disabilities could use the help so they can get a job.

It kind of depends what you want to do and what you have time to do!!

Schools and libraries are always looking for volunteers to help with reading. Hospitals are always looking for volunteers. Children's hospitals are especially in need of volunteers. I know a lady who volunteers in the NICU with the newborns and all she does is rock little babies who need a little extra love and affection. The children's hospitals and shelters are always looking for blankets if you are a sewer. I also know a grandpa who loves to do wood work so he would make little wooden puzzles and toys for local children's hospitals for the kids to play with.

There are so many options though, there are always food banks, the red cross or any other disaster relief organization.

I would suggest thinking about what you like to do, and then finding some way to use that interest to volunteer! That way you will enjoy it more. Good luck!