Helpful Tips

1. Start with a one or two hour commitment a week, once or twice a week. Taking on too much too soon can lead to a sense of failure. As things progress, you can naturally give more of your time if you like.
2. Pick something that lights you up, perhaps something you have always felt drawn to do as a volunteer but never got started with. (I have some links with local ideas below)
3. In the context of uplifting others, avoid volunteering for political causes, petitions, and divisive activist groups. Too often, such projects are either too laden with an agitated, heavy atmosphere or they're too administrative or intellectually abstract in nature. In contrast, picture helping abandoned animals or cheering up elders in the community who may feel isolated.
4. Be sure to pick something where there is no tangible gain for you, no project that dove tails with your current endeavors or builds your resume. Try to pick something that won't directly benefit you, professionally or monetarily. Naturally benefits arise following volunteering, though the core goal is to give first.