The Spirit Of Giving Back

This entire week marked a celebration to those that volunteer. While reflecting on the issues and charities that I support, I wanted to take a moment to ask you if you have considered volunteering for a cause that is near and dear to you?

The word volunteer can seem daunting. One may envision having to give long hours, donate a sum of money or even be asked to approach all of your friends and loved ones to obtain money for a charity. This is not always the case. While your life may be very busy, most people can find an hour a week or even an hour a month to give back. If you are worried that you don’t have a skill set that a cause can use, don’t worry. We all have talents and are able to complete tasks that can benefit someone other than us.  Wondering how you can help? Here are a few examples of inexpensive, non-time consuming ways to volunteer.

Pass on important information: Every charity or non-profit has a message they wish to get in front of a large amount of people. Simply sharing their information via a post on facebook or a tweet on twitter can raise awareness.

Consider local organizations: If you don’t wish to get involved in a “national” or “global” campaign, consider the needs of your own community. Giving back can be as simple as donating one bag of dog food to the local shelter, donating one food item to the food pantry at your church or going through your clothes and donating items to a local organization that helps individuals obtain job training to enter or re-enter the work force.

Volunteer Online: Virtual volunteering is becoming more widespread. With computer, smart phones, instant message and Skype, you can volunteer from the comfort of your own home. Simply reach out to the cause, charity or non-profit that you wish to assist and see what simple tasks you can do from home.

Giving back has very little to do with the amount of time and resources that you have available and more to do with your desire to spend a few minutes being of service. By being of service and giving freely of yourself, you are making a positive impact. If we all give a little we will be amazed by what we can accomplish. Take the time to reach out and give back today.

Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a Life and Recovery Coach on Celebrity Rehab on VH1 and author of “The Law of Sobriety” which uses the law of attraction to recover from any addictions.  Sherry can be reached at sherry@sgabatherapy.com for coaching packages, therapy, teleseminars, workshops, or speaking engagements.  www.thelawofsobriety.com www.sgabatherapy.com.