Most if not all non-profit organizations depend on grants and donations in order to do what they do. Many also further depend on unpaid volunteers to help them carry out their mission. I recently began a volunteer position at Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences in their live animal center. The work is not very easy; most of the job involves quite a bit of messy cage cleaning and food preparation. However, I am an animal person and knew going into it that I wouldn’t mind those aspects of the job.
What I didn’t expect was just how much I am enjoying my volunteer work. Yes, volunteering doesn’t come with a paycheck, but it provides a tremendous amount of satisfaction and fulfillment. I feel incredibly lucky to have this opportunity and am so glad I volunteered to do it.
Matching work that you enjoy to an organization that needs help is always a win-win and often provides inspiration to others.
Share with us your experiences performing volunteer work, and/or opportunities that may exist within your organization
