Volunteering is a really good thing and it goes along with my Live Like It Matters Challenge so…………..

My challenge to you is to volunteer. Regularly.

Go to your city’s animal shelter and see if you can help walk the dogs. And maybe you can even do something with the cats if you want to.

Ask the principal of any local school, especially those in less affluent areas, and just see all the projects you can help with. I’ve cleaned out flower beds, painted over graffiti, cleaned and painted bathrooms, fixed broken bathroom stall doors, picked up trash after several football games (football fans are some snack loving, trash making people), and organized and served a free breakfast for a teacher in-service training.

Most hospitals or nursing homes have a volunteer program. Your local library, too. Check them out and see if you can find something to do.

Even if the nursing home doesn’t have a volunteer “program” check with the administrators to see if you can visit the lonely people there. If you have kids, take them with you because lonely old people love young people. I’m fortunate enough to have two daughters that absolutely love old people. Can you sing or play an instrument? Perform for the patients while they’re eating their meals in the dining hall. Can’t carry a tune? Then definitely don’t sing but the ladies like to have their nails painted. And all of them like to play games. Or sit and talk with them. That’s their favorite thing anyway.

Help serve a meal at the local food kitchen. Stuff envelopes at your local campaign office. Clear out some overgrown trails with a team of forest lovers. Organize a trash pick up at your workplace and use the lunch hour to clear the street of garbage.

There are thousands of ways to volunteer.

I am fortunate enough to be part of a local church that does all of these things and more. We seek out opportunities to serve our city and the surrounding communities and we’ve made and will continue to make a significant impact where we live.

It doesn’t matter where or how…..just do something. Volunteer.

Because it matters. Because you matter and he matters and she matters.

Live like it matters.