January 15, 2009

Stay Involved in Northern Utah!

Posted to Northern Utah Recreation & Attractions

Many people in today’s economy are not willing or able to spend money the way they could a couple of years ago. Therefore people feel like they cannot give to the less fortunate in the same way they did in the past, and charitable donations have markedly decreased in 2008, according to one report in Newsweek.

Economic times may be tough, but that should not stop any of us from serving others. Community involvement is critical to those in need, and essential for those of us who may not feel like we can give monetarily to our local charities. I am a firm believer that you have to be grateful in this world for all that you have right now, even if it was less then last year. Through your gratitude and service to others, the universal law of cause and effect, or reap what you sow, or whatever you want to call it, will work for you. All the service you give away to others will come back to you in other ways, tenfold. Plus, it just FEELS GOOD!

So, don’t let our hard economic times squelch your generous spirit. There are plenty of organizations out there that need your service as much, if not more, than they need your money. There is a great website called VolunteerSolutions.org. When I typed in my zip code of 84067, and asked them to show me opportunities within a 10 miles radius, there were 69 ways for me to volunteer! Here are some examples from that site on the many opportunities the Red Cross alone had to offer:

Ogden, UT - Like working with young people 14 to 21? Like being involved in something new? Then consider being an adviser to Red Cross Youth and Young Adult Clubs.
Cache County, UT - Cache County volunteers especially are needed to help the American Red Cross of Northern Utah furnish food, clothing, shelter and more during local disasters as members of a Disaster Action Team (DAT).
Ogden, UT - Like data entry? The American Red Cross of Northern Utah needs someone to enter class records, volunteer hours and more for about eight hours a month at its Ogden headquarters.

Keep in mind that is just what’s on that website and does not even include the dozens of opportunities no one advertises in your local church or neighborhood to help someone in need out. Maybe it’s just driving an elderly neighbor to church every Sunday, or shoveling someone’s driveway as a special surprise after a long day of work. Do not stop giving just because our economic outlook is glum, for it is in the giving that we shall all begin to receive again!

Posted By: Laura Wardrop