When you woke up this morning, what did you decide to do today?

Maybe clean the house, catch up with an old friend, go to the gym, run some errands.

What about change the world?

It sounds crazy, maybe even impossible, but really it is quite simple.

The time is NOW, and YOU are the answer.

You may not realize all that you have to offer, but you can start a movement that changes the world!

What issues make you stop and think?

What news stories make you want to DO something?

When you walk down the street, do you see the effects of poverty in your community?

Are the rivers and streams polluted?

Have you, a friend, or a family member been personally affected by a disease?

Meaningful service begins with passion.

When you know what issues are important to you, finding a service activity is a natural result.

You will be driven to act on your passion, and you can recruit others to help you.

You may be passionate about a huge global issue, such as HIV/AIDS, or about something closer to home, such as the neglected state of the playground in your neighborhood.

The important thing is to know what fires your passion.

What is your passion?

Think about the hot-button issues in the last political election, the news stories that caught your attention, or other social problems that make you say,

“Why doesn’t someone do something about this?!?”

Below is a list of some of today’s biggest issues.

(Add your own if you want.)

Choose those that are most important to you and rank them according to how passionate you are about them.

_______ Animals (homeless pets, endangered animals, etc.)
_______ Community revitalization
_______ Disaster relief
_______ Domestic abuse
_______ Education/tutoring/mentoring
_______ Employment
_______ Environment/conservation
_______ Health care
_______ Health-related issues (cancer, HIV/AIDS, etc.)
_______ Homelessness
_______ Housing (building, renovation)
_______ Human Rights
_______ Hunger
_______ People with disabilities
_______ Poverty
_______ Recreation/sports
_______ Seniors
_______ Technology
_______ Women
_______ Youth

Once you know what issue you are passionate about, you may be surprised at how many ways you can help.

In fact, finding a project might feel a little overwhelming.

There may be dozens of agencies in your neighborhood looking for volunteers; you might find scads of online service opportunities; or you may find a place to serve right next door.

You want to do something to help. But how do you decide on a service activity?

Your volunteer opportunity should be something you will enjoy doing.

It should be an activity where you can use your passion and skills to help others (or to develop your personal or professional skills), meet others, and make a difference in your community.

Here are a few things to think about:

What do you most enjoy doing with/for others?

When you look back on this time in your life, what is something that will stick in your memory? Why?

What do you want to accomplish?

What kinds of service projects or activities would you like to do?

How much time do you have to devote to service?

Understanding a bit about what you hope to get out of the time you invest in volunteering can help you choose a project.

To find a project near you:

• Find your nearest HandsOn Action Center;
• Search for a project on Idealist.org;
• Search for a project on AllforGood.org; or
• Search for a project on Volunteermatch.org

Or start a project of your own!  Be the leader you’ve been waiting for!