With so much negative news bouncing around the media these days, it can really feel like the world is in a worse state than it has ever been. Rather than sitting at home and feeling helpless about the direction things look to be going in, why not look into ways that you might be able to help in your own small way? Just because your life involves a lot of staying at home, it doesn’t mean that you can’t make a difference. Here are ten ways to volunteer from home.
If you feel you are qualified, you can complete a short online course to become a qualified college student mentor. You can help aspiring young people with things like their financial aid applications and college admissions forms, making the process easier for them and in turn helping the next generation to advance
The United Nations has a huge online portal where you can offer your services for help in lots of different areas like research, writing, teaching, and advocacy. You can join a community of over 12,000 fellow volunteers.
The Crisis Text Line is always in need of more volunteers to help with its large influx of messages every day. You have to commit to doing 200 hours of service and undergo a six-week training programme, but when you have completed it, you can do wonders by offering a sympathetic ear to people with depression, suicidal thoughts, and many other problems.
There are millions of families out there who can’t afford a tutor for their high school kids, and you can take the burden away from them by signing up to a free online mentoring programme where people can access that kind of help.
You can become a digital advocate for all of the amazing things that the American Red Cross does for the planet. Spread the word on social media, start online fundraising campaigns, spread the word about things like local blood drives. Every little helps!
Become an online advocate for Feed The Children, another amazing organisation. Sign up to their various newsletters and make yourself a fountain of knowledge for your online circles. You can be the person who rallies the troops when they are needed.
If you live in an area where a lot of international students come to study, you can sign up to make their transition easier by offering your home as a place to base themselves, or even just offering your time in the form of a buddy system.
Just like the Crisis Text Line idea, you can become a helping voice to those in need by going through all of the relevant hoops to become a trained volunteer for the Suicide Prevention helpline.
Offer your expertise to people online who need help in a specific area, perhaps in-depth knowledge and advice for their college dissertation or a PhD.
If you don’t have an specific area that you want to volunteer is, you can always spread some of your wealth with the wider world by contributing to lots of fundraising campaigns that take your fancy.