Hi everyone, I’m new here 
I have decided I would like to do some volunteer work…possibly at a shelter for women, a soup kitchen, or reading with kids. I was wondering if anyone here could share their experiences with me or maybe suggest some sorta work I haven’t thought of.
I live in the Southeast US (so shovelling snow for the elderly is out) and I’m female (so an all-male shelter is out for me), if that helps with any suggestions. Thanks.
Well, find out what comes with the job. One volunteer job I have gives medical care if you need it…another doesn’t, one has a big poster put out by the state about employment rules & if you aren’t getting paid, you might ask why not.
I have a few volunteer jobs. When I got one at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the first questions they asked me is what I could do for the aquarium & I replied, ‘what can the aquarium do for me?’ They had a pretty blank look on their faces. That was fun.
I had alot of fun volunteering at a colonial house. They have these houses left over from colonial times, and they need docents to dress up in costumes and show people around. The costumes will kill you in the heat, though.
There is ALWAYS a need for Girl Scout leaders and people to work in soup kitchens. Hospitals look for people to help out at the front desk or to push the library cart around. Schools usually do appreciate anyone who comes in to read, to help organize and maintain the library and supervise lunches.
See what’s out there, then assess yourself and your capabilities. If you’re the squeamish sort, you probably want to avoid hospitals and hospices. Impatient? Avoid situations with kids and the elderly. Very hands-on and don’t mind getting grubby? Go for something outdoorsy. Remember too that you don’t have to be right in the thick of things to be useful - I don’t deal well with large groups of people, so my contribution to the local soup kitchen is behind the scenes, cooking and doing paperwork.
One area you might not have considered is volunteering to help the blind. I have been working in a one-on-one program with a blind woman for the past four years, and have found it to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
If you’re interested, two places to get started in South Carolina are the South Carolina State Library Talking Books Program and the South Carolina Association of Blind Students. My first experience working with the blind was when I read for blind law students while I was in college.
You didn’t mention hospitals in your OP, but they are constantly looking for volunteers. You might find a program looking for people to entertain sick children. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the volunteer work you choose. You will be making a commitment. All it took was candy striper orientation to let me know that hospital service was not for me.
Oh, and welcome to the Straight Dope!
Some things to think about: what are your interests/hobbies? What are your special skills? How might you be able to put them to use? What kinds of organizations do work that you especially respect, or have been helpful to you or your loved ones in the past?
For example, I’ve been doing some geneaological research, and have combined it with my knowledge of Spanish to translate e-mail inquiries on a volunteer basis for the Jewish geneaology website which has been so helpful to me. My mom is an amateur ceramicist, and when I was a kid, she volunteered doing art therapy at a local hospital.
I used to help out at Red Cross Blood Donation sites.
I set up tables, handed out forms, & etc.
A nice way to blow an afternoon, & it looked good on my resume’.
There are many volunteer organizations that you could join - meaning organizations of people who have something in common (singles, religious groups, professionals, etc.) that offer a variety of volunteer opportunities, from one-time or annual events to ongoing programs. If you are a student, there are student volunteer organizations at most colleges. These would give you the opportunity to try a few different things out and find a good personal fit before you make a long-term commitment.
I help out with a few annual events that are organized through my company’s community outreach organization, as well as other events through a social/professional organization, BPW. These have offered the opportunity to volunteer in a variety of ways: serving meals for the homeless, collecting/sorting/organizing holiday gifts for underprivileged children, collecting/soliciting school supplies for children at a family violence shelter, repairing/renovating the homes of elderly and disabled residents, back to school immunizations, etc., etc. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of these activities, especially because my schedule doesn’t allow me to make a regular commitment to any one organization, but I can still give back to my community.
Welcome to the Boards, mmhkay. Good to have another SC Doper on here :).
I agree with following your interests. There are lots of good causes out there in need of help.
I like the Big Brothers Big Sisters program but that is sometimes a bigger commitment than some people are looking for.
I briefly volunteered at a Women’s Shelter. I think that’s great too, if it’s your thing.
Or Meals on Wheels.
I also recommend Habit for Humanity. That’s a relatively short term commitment & you get to help build a home for someone - how cool is that? They even have “Women Build” in HfH where, as the name implies, the Women do the building.
I’m sure you’ll find something worthwhile that you enjoy.
Best Wishes
I’ve done a lot of volunteer work, and it’s taught me so much, and greatly enriched my life.
I used to volunteer at a battered women’s shelter. We had a secret house in town in which the women and children could stay. One vounteer needed to be in the house 24 hours a day. Mostly, we were there to keep the women company and counsel them if they wanted to talk. We were also supposed to protect the secrecy of the location, which meant keeping a close eye on the telephone to make sure that kids didn’t call their fathers and tell them where they were.
It was a difficult and frustrating job, in a way, but not without its rewards. My heart was broken every time a woman decided to return to her battering husband, but knowing that I helped a few to start a new life was very uplifting.
Waiting patiently for a new resident to open up and talk was the most important thing I learned. Some of them were “shell shocked” to the point where all they wanted to do was hide. Given space and time, however, they would start to talk, and a lot of times I did not need to counsel. The women just needed to work things out on their own.
I also delivered Meals on Wheels. Some of the elderly were shut-ins, abandoned by their families, who had meals delivered just so someone would check on them once a day. Some were sick, and helpless, and desperately needed food to be delivered. Some were stand-offish and cold, while others became new grandparents.
My job was not limited to delivering meals, though it was on paper. My route should have taken two hours, but often times took up to five, because the people often needed little tasks done for them, or just a little company to brighten their day. One elderly man with cancer needed someone to dump the bucket of pee next to his bed into the toilet. One lady, who was bedridden, needed someone to fetch books from the living room for her. Dogs needed walked, messes cleaned, sheets put into the washing machine, or prescriptions picked up from the drugstore. I would have been perfectly justified in telling these people that it wasn’t in my job description, but I couldn’t say no to them.
The expressed their gratitude in little gifts, and hugs. One lady crocheted me some potholders. Another made me cookies, and always made sure that on hot days she had a can of cold soda waiting on the counter for me when I went into her kitchen. The old man with cancer actually wept when I told him I wouldn’t mind getting him some ice cream from the corner store.
The hardest part was seeing them die. Over the two years that I worked there, my new granparents died off one by one. I still miss them, and hope that what little I could do for them made them just a little happier.
Next, I volunteered at a local museum, which, as jobs go, is probably the most interesing I’ve ever had. A lot of museums face budget crunches and an enormous backlog of work. I learned to clean artifacts, number and store them properly, and had the chance to examine them to my heart’s content. After a year, they hired me on as a tour guide and curatorial assistant.
I’ve also volunteered at a historic theater as a secretary/concessions worker/ticket taker/stage hand. That was a lot of fun.
I was in sort of an odd situation in college: I wanted to do some kind of volunteer work (not for credit or anything, just to help out), but I didn’t really like people that much. I chose to work as a campus safety escort, waiting around with a beeper late at night and walking with people when they didn’t feel safe walking alone. It fit well with my personality and schedule, and it helped people get home at night.
After graduation, I decided to get out of my shell somewhat and did volunteer ESL lessons at a community center in Chinatown (Boston). That was pretty interesting, and it helped me out a lot when I started teaching in Japan.
I do volunteer work at an LGBTRC (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans resource center) as… well… I don’t really do much anymore really 
but I do help out with greeting people who come in and helping clean up and such. We offer services like counseling, access to a library with research material on LGBT issues, medical referrals, stuff like that.
It’s a wonderful way to meet new people from a small, often ignored (and discriminated against) community who have a lot to offer the world.