Have you ever noticed that our New Year’s resolutions tend to be very self-centered? We often strive to lose weight, manage our money better or even to get better grades. All these resolutions are wonderful, but what if instead, we made resolutions that involved helping others?
Winston Churchill once said: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Let’s make this the year that we put others before ourselves. Giving your time to a non-profit organization as a volunteer is one of the most selfless things that you, as a college student, can do.
Here are four great places in Boone where you can volunteer and make a difference this year:
1. Farm Café
The Farm Café’s central theme is to “Feed All Regardless of Means.” This King Street eatery considers itself a community kitchen and encourages its customers to “pay-what-they-can.” Using local food sources, they provide meals for individuals who have a tight budget or are unable to purchase food at all. Relying 90% on volunteers as staff, The Farm Café is always looking for students to volunteer. In addition, an hour of work equals one meal. To sign up, just head to their website and click the “volunteer” button at the top! Website: http://farmcafe.org
2. Samaritans Purse
Based in Boone, Samaritans Purse is a non-profit, Christian-based, international relief fund. Samaritans Purse works with Operation Christmas Child and community reconstruction. Samaritan’s Purse also sponsors individual cases, such as bringing children in third world countries to the States to receive quality medical care. To start working with Samaritan’s Purse, just visit the website and head over to the “Get Involved” tab at the top, and chose the activity you’d like to work with.Website: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/
3. Hospitality House
The Hospitality House is a local organization that aims to rebuild lives. The website has resources for families, those in need of food, and even the homeless in need of affordable housing. The Hospitality House supports hundreds of different projects from gathering experienced cyclists to teaching children how to ride bikes and taking them on group rides, to gathering clothes for those who do not have the means to purchase them. Not only do they host a wide range of projects, but they are always open to ideas. To be a part of a project, or start your own, head to their website and find the “Volunteer” button on the left side of the page!Website: http://hospitalityhouseofboone.org/index.php?id=9
4. Appalachian State University
Last but not least, the easiest place to volunteer is right here on our own campus! ASU has several wonderful volunteer opportunities through tons of different clubs, campus wide events and trips. To begin, The ACT office, or Appalachian & The Community together, promotes a “Think Globally, Act Locally” attitude, encouraging students to make big changes in their own surrounding community. The Appalachian ACT office works with over 164 different community organizations, ensuring a perfect fit for anyone interesting in volunteering. The different agencies include Adopt-A-Highway, American Red Cross, disability services, March of Dimes, and multicultural student development. Website: http://volunteer.appstate.edu/
Photo Sources:
Photos:
http://farmcafe.org/photos.html http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/learning-from-a-samaritans-purse-internship/http://hospitalityhouseofboone.org/index.php?id=9
http://studentprograms.appstate.edu/images/filecabinet/folder10/new_ACT_Logo_1400x891.jpghttp://www.news.appstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/carryline.jpg