Volunteering is at the core of community engagement. The ability and willingness to contribute to your local community exposes yourself and others to a newfound connectedness. This article aims to provide some local and impactful volunteering ideas. These serve as alternatives to traditional and oversaturated volunteer experiences such as those at animal shelters and hospitals.
GeekGirlCon: GeekGirlCon is an organization of women who identify as “geeks” who empower each other in a community of collaboration and support. Volunteers throughout many departments support the Seattle-based organization in broadening their cause’s reach.
South Park Senior Citizens: The South Park Senior Citizens Center serves elders in King County by providing a variety of programs that support all aspects of their well-being. From Friday night karaoke and dance to their virtual book club, volunteers can connect and create with elders in King County.
Kent International Festival: The Kent International Festival recognizes and appreciates the vast cultural diversity of Kent, WA. The festival promotes cultural awareness and diversity within the Kent community. Volunteers support the organization and execution of the event held in June.
Seattle International Film Festival: The Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) cultivates creativity and inspiration amongst Seattle film creators. Volunteers support the festival throughout its duration and hold a diverse range of roles. Volunteering with SIFF exposes volunteers to the film industry.
TEDxSeattle: TEDxSeattle hosts independently-organized TED Talks that share innovative ideas to the community. TEDxSeattle aims to share the ideas and stories of the local community, for the local community. They carry various volunteer groups that specialize in certain positions to support the TEDxSeattle events.
Grow it Forward: Grow it Forward encourages a culture around creating micro-nurseries in the Seattle area. Their mission aims to provide education to farmers of varying experience to develop the skills needed to create habitat restoration sites. Volunteers with pick-up trucks can help collect and deliver the soil and finished seedlings for the various micro-nursery sites.
Live Music Project: The Live Music Project expands Seattle’s access to experiencing music. They offer volunteer opportunities for web developers to use Python and JavaScript to support their engineering team. Volunteering with the Live Music Project is a unique opportunity to become more connected with the music community in Washington.
The opportunities to contribute to your Washington community are endless. To learn about Washington organizations you can join in the fight against global warming, you can view the Watchdog’s recent article. Finding positions that align with your interests and skills is often a helpful way to navigate the vast volunteering opportunities.
