Volunteering can be a great way to get out of the house, make new friends, and gain valuable work experience. I have found that many service organizations are happy to make room on their volunteering schedule for people with disabilities if presented in the right light! Sorting clothes, organizing food pantry shelves, even planting a row of a garden and donating this to a food pantry are wonderful ways to enhance vocational skills while making a difference.
The great thing about helping others is that once you have finished, you feel pretty good about yourself, too! Most people, disabled or otherwise, want to feel useful and that they have something to contribute. It may be hard at first to find ways to help out, but Internet searches, job coaches, and even school organizations all will have ways for you to get involved, and a surprising amount of self-confidence comes when you help someone else. Helping someone else and sharing your talents gives you the chance to feel needed and useful and it will also look great on a resume that you might want to hand to an employer in the future. Helping others, building self-esteem, and gaining experience make volunteering a win-win situation for all!
You will need to find a volunteer opportunity that is right for you. First, list your interests and your skills. You need to know what you can offer to a non-profit or other volunteer opportunity. Practice making phone calls and selling yourself. Have someone you trust role play with you. You can also set up a person-centered planning meeting where you meet with people you trust who care about you. They can offer valuable insight into your skills and talents and also tell you what you need to work on before beginning a volunteer opportunity. Plus, the more people you involve in the search, the larger your network is. Having people in your life with connections will help you get your foot in the door. The people at your planning meeting can check into volunteer jobs and get back to you at the next meeting, or they can help you identify places you should call to get started. Every one of us knows someone who knows someone who could probably help us out if needed. So, start volunteering today!
