It may be be our first Thanksgiving in Nome, but we still have a lot to be thankful for!
In this volunteer blog, we talk about what makes us feel grateful, what volunteering we’ve done in the past, and what this kind of service means to us.
For myself, this is the first time I’ve been a full-time volunteer for a long, extended period. In the past, I’ve mainly done day-long volunteering opportunities, with a few weeks-long service trips sprinkled in the mix: a tasting platter, if you will, of what’s to come. When I was thinking about joining KNOM, I remember being asked about my previous volunteer experience, and ever since then, I’ve really reflected on what it means to volunteer and what my impact is on the community of Western Alaska.
Though a few hours of service on the weekends is still a fantastic use of one’s time, I’ve personally found that living my workday in service of others to be a refreshing, humbling, and inspiring act. I feel an acute awareness of this act of service throughout my day, which helps motivate me to do my best work. It’s a different feeling from the personal motivation to get good grades or do a good job to get a raise or some other worldly pursuit. I feel like I’m tending to an emotional need when volunteering, rather than a material one.
Though Giving Tuesday (the day we recorded this audioblog, fittingly enough!) is passed, there are so many more opportunities to donate your time, resources, among other things – a listening ear, perhaps? – during this holiday season into the New Year.
Want to get started? Here are some great resources I’ve found to be helpful:
- Catholic Volunteer Network
- Amazon Smile
- Community bulletin boards at the library, government offices, and church fellowship areas are a great place to start for local opportunities.
