Volunteer Work

[mesh control]

To keep myself from going crazy; like I am right now, I decided to step up and do some volunteer work.

Safe Haven Rescue Zoo
I'll be helping establish a new fence and possibly some shading.

As much as I ramble on here, I don't talk too much about my love of animals.
The stories of what these animals went through make me want to destroy 80-90% of humanity.

Anyone else do some awesome volunteer work?

[Obiwanshinobi]

Anyone else do some awesome volunteer work?

NG Dev Team?

[Op Intensify]

I spent a couple months once helping the local library with odd jobsf. One time I discovered some 80's Taiwanese music cassettes they didn't even know they had, and were headed to the dumpster. I got to keep them.

One of them has a woman attempting to rap in Mandarin. It's hilarious.

[CMoon]

My job feels like volunteer work. Doing shit for wild animals is awesome. I don't need any stories to feel the same way you do about humanity.

[drauch]

I volunteered at an animal shelter for awhile. It was really rewarding, yet really depressing. Sucks to see what were clearly abused animals, and it's also sad to see them go, but it felt good. Shame I'm such a misanthropist and don't trust half the people who adopt anyway.

[njiska]

I haven't really had much free time to give to charity since i was in high school. I used to volunteer at a local animal shelter, but then someone decided that anyone under 18 couldn't be trusted and they stopped letting people my age help out. Such complete bullshit. Apparently they were afraid we might abuse the animals because everyone who isn't an adult it automatically a puppy killer for some retarded, hysterical, "we won't treat you like a person" reason.

Glad to hear that where you're giving your time is helping out exotic pets. They have a harder time being cared for than most when they're abandoned or abused. Beautiful animals, but one's that should probably have never been in private hands to begin with. And on top of that i'm glad that your love of animals is leading you to do something genuinely good and helpful, rather than supporting a bunch of nutjob, domestic-terrorist supporting, animal murders like PETA.

[spadgy]

I do the odd bit of conservation volunteer work in London. Too rarely though. It's hard to fit around a regular job. I love doing it though. It never feels much like work, is very different to my day job (I get to get my hands dirty rather than just get keyboard RSI), and is really rewarding, plus it's nice to meet other people into a bit of the old rural activity when you're concrete-locked in London.

I'd recommend it to anyone, even if it's just helping with a community garden or something, and only twice a year. I do it through the BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers), who let you go wild with pretty meaty blades and such... good fun!

As I live in East London, there's also a lot of volunteer work tidying parks and stuff for the Olympics. I'm up for that.

[BulletMagnet]

My job feels like volunteer work.

Same here, minus the feeling of accomplishment.

[Randorama]

I, notororious Christian-eater and religion-basher, worked with Caritas, a Catholic organization who helps the poor. They actually do it, that's why I volunteered in the first place.

The best part was flirting with an awesome middle-aged nun, who worked as a Missionary in some of the most war-torn zones in the world, worked 14 hours a day to help the ones in need, and never beat the shit out of me for being flirty.

The local head of the organization, a priest and war surgeon, also liked to play backgammon with me, while discussing Philosophy, Theology, and getting drunk like Drauch. He once asked me if I was serious about the nun.

I declined an answer, but promised to tell him one day or another.

[mrsmiley381]

The local head of the organization, a priest and war surgeon, also liked to play backgammon with me, while discussing Philosophy, Theology, and getting drunk like Drauch. He once asked me if I was serious about the nun.

Wow, my entire view of volunteer work being exploitative has suddenly changed. Years of Boy Scout leaf raking really pissed me off, but if volunteering as an adult can introduce me to goofy folks like that, it might be worth a shot.

Last time I did real volunteer work was my Eagle project. We did some landscaping for a local historical house. The city wanted it done, but the caretaker did not. When we were done the caretaker seemed genuinely happy to see what we did. We were so proud of what we did that we decided to have my graduation party there. Seriously, the place looked great when we were done.

Sadly, I haven't done much of anything since. I've had the chance to actually be selfish without anyone to stop me, so I've mostly done my own things for profit. In the future I'd like to find an in-between sort of deal, working for less pay teaching kids programming or something somewhat cool like that.

[TrevHead (TVR)]

One of them has a woman attempting to rap in Mandarin. It's hilarious.

I must be a complete perv, as I read that as rape a mandarin

[xbl0x180]

It's noble and commendable - something that I look up to in others. I do not volunteer, although I suggest it to others, so that makes me a hypocrite of the first calibre. Every year, I donate a few hundred bucks to the university I used to attend, but I really do need to buckle down and do some real work

[Randorama]

Wow, my entire view of volunteer work being exploitative has suddenly changed. Years of Boy Scout leaf raking really pissed me off, but if volunteering as an adult can introduce me to goofy folks like that, it might be worth a shot.

The organization I mentioned is "notorious" for being good and pure guys, though, something that I would think it does not exist in the US (and even in Europe, it is hard to come by...).

They are a small and somewhat selective organization, in the sense that they control who are their members, what is their commitment to the cause of helping the poor, their budgets are transparent, etc.

As a consequence, they tended to have more educated and world-wise members, rather than the usual slimy catholic priests, of which Christian churches are choke full.

I wasn't a pure volunteer, though. They initially hired me for my job. Since it was really peebles, I ended up donating the salary to the poor.

I need to say that volunteering in Continental Europe is a common "hobby", as it is part of the old cultures of commonality and solidarity that permeate societies, especially small cities.

...I do attract peculiar people, being one myself.

[spadgy]

The best part was flirting with an awesome middle-aged nun, who worked as a Missionary in some of the most war-torn zones in the world, worked 14 hours a day to help the ones in need, and never beat the shit out of me for being flirty.

The local head of the organization, a priest and war surgeon, also liked to play backgammon with me, while discussing Philosophy, Theology, and getting drunk like Drauch. He once asked me if I was serious about the nun.

I can't compete with that, but in my experience you certainly meet some characters when doing volunteering. Like arcades, volunteer organisations seem like a great place for lovable eccentrics.

[Randorama]

I can't compete with that, but in my experience you certainly meet some characters when doing volunteering. Like arcades, volunteer organisations seem like a great place for lovable eccentrics.

I completely agree with your definition, Spadgy, I think it perfectly nails down the spirit of these social environments.

I need to say that volunteering is for some, a way to "fit in" in society. I did meet misfits who needed a way to perceive themselves as useful members of society. By volunteering, they could really get two birds with a stone: do something nice, and ease their sense of "not belonging".

I do need to say that both nun and priest tried to convert me all the time, and the nun lady ("sister Sofia" but she was Bavarian) had a drinking problem. Nevertheless, they were really awesome people. Still, they could channel their inner struggle into something useful.

[spadgy]

I do need to say that both nun and priest tried to convert me all the time, and the nun lady ("sister Sofia" but she was Bavarian) had a drinking problem. Nevertheless, they were really awesome people. Still, they could channel their inner struggle into something useful.

I never got anything quite like that. A girl tried very enthusiastically to try and get me into breeding moths at home. So infectious was her enthusiasm, I almost went for it!

[mesh control]

Yesterday was a long day and I didn't really get a chance to think.

Clipped fencing for most of the day. There were only two other volunteers out on Sunday. Apparently they had a larger group of volunteers on Saturday. I was supposed to go out again today, but I didn't feel like getting out of bed.
I'll probably drag one of my lazy highschool friends there with me next time.