Where do you volunteer?

Last night I was running some wire for new cameras at The Warehouse where I volunteer my skills and time as their network administrator/engineer and I became curious about my fellow Tacoma enthusiast. Where do you guys volunteer? What do you do and why do you do it?

 

I volunteer quite a bit for a snowmobile club here in NH in a town I used to live in. Made a lot of friends there and it just remains something I enjoy doing. Trail maintenance and helping with their fund raising by working a cook trailer at certain events through the year.

 

I've been volunteering at our local Elks lodge for 25 years working on the Bingo Crew. I sell pull tabs & call the games. I love working with all my Bingo Girlfriends/Mothers/Grandmothers. My better half always sends me off with" You got a lot of Girlfriends to Satisfy tonight." My response is always, "You know I love trying"

 

very cool, what food do you make?

awesome, I've never seen an elk lodge around here

 

The snowmobile club owns a 30' custom built cook trailer and tows it to a few events each year. One of them is the NH Grassdrags in Freemont NH: http://www.nhgrassdrags.com/ I offer my time there at some point over the weekend and I'll either run the register or run the grill and flip burgers. This year I have been given the final shift of the weekend on Sunday which means I will have to help clean the damn thing after we serve thousands of people. Ugggg

 

I volunteer at my local fire department. I like helping people in there time of need and allso knowing that we have to get it done no matter what because there is no one else to call!

 

I've been volunteering for 20 years to save the endangered Hawaiian monk seal! Here's one who had a baby this year! Very rewarding and fun

 

I want to see a pic of this thing

that's definitely an important job, thank you for your service to the community.

that's pretty neat, what makes that seal different than a regular seal?

 

I used to volunteer regularly for a local Pit Bull rescue (Bullies and Buddies) here in Los Angeles, I'm a commercial photographer for a living and I would set up photo shoots for the dogs that needed homes. Most rescues put up the saddest looking, crappy photos of their dogs and it's no wonder many of them don't find homes. If you're looking to volunteer for something, this is a great one to do...you don't have to be a pro photographer, just be willing to take some nice pictures of dogs that needs homes out at a park or on a trail or something. It really does help.

Had a couple end up in different magazine publications, they were all adopted pretty quick. I stopped when I got my full-time gig but I want to start working with them again.

 

Wife and I volunteer for several things at our church. It's a small congregation, and helping hands are always good for the budget.

We assist in our church based food pantry that is open most Saturday mornings. Wife and I pick up the leftover baked goods from a Panera Bread on Friday night, sort it, bag it for distribution. If we have more than is needed on Saturday, we take the balance to a place called 'tent city', a local gvmt sponsored shelter for the homeless. Panera products have no preservatives, so we have to move it fast to be of use.

We buy things at local thrift stores and garage sales, either to resell on ebay or to ship to a ministry center in Guatemala we support. We focus on things for children under 8, including infants/newborns. The money from ebay sales support the goods bought/shipping costs. Last week the wife scored a funky dress for 50 cents that sold for $1,052. We usually ship 4 boxes a year. They are about 30x30x36, so by the time we pack them out, something around 200#.

She volunteers at a Hospice thrift store 2 afternoons a week, one as a cashier, one as a good 'sorter' in the back room.

When cool air returns I'll be working some waterway cleanup from my kayak.

Truck is a useful part of all that. Lot of light hauling. Tonneau and @mattgecko underrail bed lighting made the work with the bread containers easy peasy.

 

Wow..best post of my day!! Work in an animal hospital and do rescue!! Pictures are amazing

 

Based on my salary, I pretty much volunteer at my full time job....

On the side I have a lawn mowing business. I have 2 elderly low income customers that I mow for. I have "forgotten" to bill them for the past 15 yrs.

 

Good on you sir.

 

Habitat for humanity. Been building houses with them for 10 years or so.