Not all volunteer opportunities have to be for charities like cleaning the beach or feeding the homeless, although they are noble causes to help. Depending on your skill set and level of knowledge, you can focus on specific areas that need additional support or manpower, and see how much good you can do. Below are some specific instances of using your professional knowledge and skills in a volunteer capacity which may inspire you to lend a hand too:
Medical Knowledge and SkillWhether you are a doctor, therapist, nurse or paramedic, your medical knowledge and skill can benefit hundreds of people outside of the hospital where you work in. Join a group or institution that provides medical courses and volunteer your knowledge and skill to teach wave after wave of people how to care for a patient until the professionals get there. Emergency first aid courses are in high demand because of its usefulness, and there are always opportunities for instructors who want to get involved. Think about the impact you will have; yes, you save lives every day and through this, you can teach others to save lives too.
Self Defence and Martial Arts TrainingIn addition to first aid refresher training, you can also teach self defence. Few martial arts around the world is about attacking someone and harming them; most martial arts practices, particularly the East Asian ones like Aikido, Karate and Kung Fu, are more about self defence and discipline of the mind and body. This makes martial arts the perfect tool through which troubled youth can be kept from the streets. There are community centres in many of the so-called underprivileged areas that badly need the resources to keep their teen and young-adult population from getting involved in drugs and crime. A strong, disciplined teacher can impart life skills to them that will help build a foundation for the rest of their lives.
Music, Art and Dance SkillsIf you play an instrument, or know how to dance professionally, can wield a paintbrush or pencil and/or can act, take your talents and skills to the nearest specially-abled school or school for children with learning difficulties. Often, children who are challenged when it comes to ‘learning’ in the traditional sense are gifted in other ways. Many children with learning disabilities show startling gifts in music, dancing and art. Those who cannot remember the 3 times multiplication tables will remember large chunks of dialogue from a play they are acting in. All they require is guidance and patience. If you can volunteer these, please do so.