I’m sure many of us were big on volunteering in high school. Then, college hits and there’s all these different organizations that say they offer these great volunteering options. Maybe you’re burnt out from high school and you decide to take a year off from the load during freshmen year. Or maybe you join a few of these organizations hoping to get involved and they don’t seem to be meeting your expectations. Or, maybe you want to volunteer, but don’t necessarily want to have to sign up for clubs and pay dues and go to meetings. So no matter how you want to get involved, the important part is that you are getting involved and giving back to the community.
This list is a great compilation of different volunteering opportunities that you can do by yourself or with a group of friends! It’s all up to you!
1. Oakland Food Pantry: You can help out easily by passing out weekly distributions of food, or even working with visitors who come to the Food Pantry! The location is 370 Lawn Street, only a short walk or bus ride away!
2. Soup Kitchen: This is mostly self explanatory, but you’d be giving back to the community in the East End by helping to provide hot lunches to up to 120 people per day. The volunteer hours are extremely flexible, and they’d love the help! The location is 116 S. Highland Ave, Pittsburgh. All you need to do is catch a 71A, and it’s a quick 15 minute ride away!
3. The American Youth Literacy Foundation: If working with children is more up your alley, try checking out www.YouthLit.org. This Foundation can set you up with any local YMCA or library to help teach children basic reading skills! There is an orientation, but it’s not too bad at all, and they only ask you to volunteer around one and a half to two and a half hours per week.
4. The Toonseum of Pittsburgh: If you’d rather spend your time volunteering around art, why not sign up to work with the Toonseum located Downtown at 945 Liberty Avenue? You can help work with the on and off site events and even help give tours.
5. Animal Rescue League: Working with animals, is there any better way to spend time? By attending a two hour training session, you’ll be able to become an animal handler, possibly working with cats, dogs, and bunnies. From walking to helping train the animals, you’ll be sure to enjoy these incredibly cute and loving animals, all while giving back to the community. For more information, check out http://www.animalrescue.org/volunteer-info.
No matter what you decide to do, whether it’s some of these choices or another great volunteering organization, make sure to give yourself a pat on the back and remind yourself that people sincerely appreciate every minute that Pitt students work within the community to make this a truly special place that we can all call home!
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