Volunteerism and Philanthropy

I have said it before and I’ll say it again, but I absolutely love giving back to the community.  This past weekend I went to the LA Food Bank and packed boxes for those in need with the Alliance for Women in the Media. Within three hours, we packed enough boxes to feed 2,700 families. That is beyond amazing!!

Yesterday was National Philanthropy Day, did you do anything special?

This weekend I will be heading on a secret mission (I’ll find out when I get there) with the Do Good Bus and fellow Warrior Queen Katy. The concept of the Do Good Bus is super cool. Basically, you sign up for a trip that falls under a category. This weekend for instance the category is GoodEarth. We’ll be doing something that is good for the environment, but we don’t know what. Once all of the volunteers are on the bus and en route, the destination is revealed. The trips typically last 5 hours, including travel time and volunteer events are in the LA area. You pay a relatively low fee for this volunteer trip, but it includes travel, food and, for those over 21, wine! Yum! The Do Good Bus also travels with Foster The People on occasion, doing volunteer work across the nation, and introducing fans to the band.

As my mom said last weekend at the Food Bank, volunteering is good for the soul. It is easy to get lost in our personal stresses and busy schedules, and adding one more thing to your to do list might stress you out more. It’s not the case though. While you may be physically or mentally working, your body and soul are actually healing at the same time. It works wonders on your endorphins and emotions.

I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to volunteer for a long time now. Working weekends really put a damper on my availability for volunteer opportunities. Luckily, I’ve regained my free weekends and, of course, have spent my first two since freedom volunteering!

What are your favorite ways to  volunteer? Do you have an organization you want us to feature? Let us know at beawarriorqueen@gmail.com.