volunteering... my heart is broken

my heart is broken and i haven't even started yet.

i've been struggling a lot, this year. so, i decided to put my life to good use. my job may suck, my commute may suck, my weight has increased, my nest is empty, i still don't know what i want to be when i grow up... so at least i can do something good for someone else while i figure sh*t out.

i googled "volunteering near me" and found a site that has a pretty good list of charities.

just reading through the list has broken my heart. the need that exists is incredible. i am having a hard time picking one because i feel i need to help everyone. i want to help everyone. i know i can't, but that's the initial reaction i'm having. i had to close the site to be able to do some thinking and decide where it would be best to put my resources and which charity won't leave me as a worse emotional basket case than before i started.

i pray that i'll be able to put my life to good use and help someone out there. the need is great.

volunteering... my heart is broken

Why not pick an organization that will bring you happiness volunteering? I used to volunteer at my local humane society and I absolutely loved it! Yes, I saw some animals in terrible shape but I also got to be part of helping them ultimately have a better life. Seeing the positive change helped bring me a lot of happiness.

Re: volunteering... my heart is broken

thank you for the post! you may be inspiring others!

Think about what's close to your heart. Elderly, animals, children, environment. I think your son is in the military right? There are volunteer opportunities at the VA.

Re: volunteering... my heart is broken

I have volunteered on and off for lots of different organizations over time and I know how you feel.

Two thoughts:

You can find opportunities to do things behind the scenes. Lots of organizations need things like sorting, organizing, clerical work, etc. I'm currently working with LIcares once a week sorting and boxing donations while I'm off for the summer. (I have to shout out 2badsosad who posted something that inspired me to look into this!) I'm nowhere near the recipients. (I didn't pick it because of that - it just worked out that this is what fit into my schedule - but I get why it could appeal to someone who might otherwise get upset or overwhelmed.) I know you're not local but I'm sure there is something similar near you.

Another thought is don't focus on how vast the need is or overanalyze what cause to work with. Both of those things will paralyze you. Pick something and commit (to yourself) to sticking with it for at least a year. You can always switch to something else. I'm not saying choosing a cause is not worthy of thought; I just think once you start, you'll feel better!

Good luck and I do know how you feel. Many years ago I worked with the dogs at Save a Pet when I lived in central Suffolk. There was this one dog, Buddy, that was there forever and it broke my heart. He was still there when I moved and stopped volunteering there. He has to have passed by now - he wasn't a puppy and it was 13 years ago - but to this day I will think of him if I see a dog who looks like him and I will wonder if he ever ended up with a forever home.