26 replies to this topic

[trmeyer]

Hello, I am from NE Missouri and was wondering what groups everyone volunteers with and what they do to help the environment?

I am a Girl Scout and 4-H leader and my son is in Boy Scouts. We generally work at our local recyclilng center a few times a year with each group. We pick up trash along the highways and other places. As Girl Scouts we have volunteered at conservation sites cleaning up and planting trees and helping the waterways. I enjoy doing this kind of activity and I joke that with Girl Scouts and 4-H my blood must run green. We are always looking for ways to incorporate the environment and green energy into something we are working on.

Tracy

[amylisa1127]

I also help with my son's Boy Scout group. We collect cans and have worked after concerts cleaning up the venues after they leave. These of course are outside events, and many people forget how to use a trash can   This shows the boys the importance of keeping our earth clean. These boys are 10 years old and even they are discusted at how people treat the planet. We have also visited a local fishing spot where there is no who cleans up on a regular basis. It too was very dirty but the boys, along with the leaders had it looking great when we left. Keep up the good work! Every effort matters and not only that you are passing those values down to the children.

[kat74]

We have a movement in our country called the Greenbelt movement which involves people in planting tree through out the year, So I usually participate in planting tree because tree play a major part in making our word green. I also help my church member's in cleaning up out town. This is done every other month and every member is allowed to participate in the clean up event. After that we engage ourselves over a cup of tea in discussing better way s to go green in out community.

[neodoxa]

I volunteer with Coastal Cleanup every summer to clean up debris along the shores of the great lakes.  I do it a few times each summer...  it's a nice little organization and is always a pretty fun day!

I also volunteer with Adopt-A-Highway.  The company I worked for adopted a section of Interstate 80 that I help clean once a year or so.

I volunteer for a couple hours each week at the local hospital as well...  Helping with paperwork and stuff there.

Neodoxa

[Bababooey]

I volunteer with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the JDRF, because my daughter has type 1 diabetes. I donate DVDs and other things I have around the house for auction items at an annual gala they have to raise money for research, and my daughter will volunteer to work at the party,

[Yoginitrish]

trmeyer, on 25 September 2011 - 06:53 PM, said:

Hello, I am from NE Missouri and was wondering what groups everyone volunteers with and what they do to help the environment?

I am a Girl Scout and 4-H leader and my son is in Boy Scouts. We generally work at our local recyclilng center a few times a year with each group. We pick up trash along the highways and other places. As Girl Scouts we have volunteered at conservation sites cleaning up and planting trees and helping the waterways. I enjoy doing this kind of activity and I joke that with Girl Scouts and 4-H my blood must run green. We are always looking for ways to incorporate the environment and green energy into something we are working on.

Tracy

I think it is awesome that you volunteer at the recycling center and pickup trash, etc. I am just beginning to lead my daughters Daisy troop. I think these activities are great for everyone-particularly children who can make being green part of their lifestyle.

[kaveg]

My daughter is on the "green team" at her school and I am on the recycling team as part of the PTA.  Each year we also participate in our green day at our school where we clean up the park behind us doing trash pick-up and cleaning and also recycling items that we find that can be recycled.

[milano]

I used to volunteer my time on blood drives not as a donor but as the blood letter/phlebotomist for our government. It was a nice experience but people do have some fear or some wrong information about giving blood that you literally have to explain everything to one person for 10 to 30 minutes. I stopped because that is a lot of talking and people are not entirely sure that they want to donate blood even if you explained that it was safe.

[steph84]

I wish I would have joined the Girl Scouts when I was younger, but my mom never wanted to help me sell cookies. Now I volunteer at a local no-kill animal shelter for cats and I do a lot of walks like AIDS Walk and walks for Autism Speaks. I have walked for Relay For Life with the American Cancer Association in the past and helped give out water at the Los Angeles Marathon. I like to volunteer at large events with a lot of people. It just gives me a strong sense of community. I just signed up for a beach cleaning even next month and can't wait to get out there and feel the sea breeze while I'm doing good.

[pwcross]

I volunteer with my local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity (East Bay, in the San Francisco Bay Area), and they have been one of the first-movers within Habitat for Humanity on green building. Through my work on the construction site, I've learned about tons of amazing techniques for building a sustainable home -- everything from photovoltaic panels on the rooftops, to building on thick concrete slabs that help to regulate the temperature in the homes. It's been a really cool way to both help the community and help the environment!

[Alli]

I run a monthly breastfeeding support group and am training to be a La Leche League leader, so that is volunteering of a sort (due to medical issues, our actual LLL leader has been unavailable, so the last few months we have had an unaffiliated group which will become LLL affiliated again when I finish my training.) I'm also volunteering with an effort to make one of our local hospitals a "Baby Friendly Hospital"- which requires filling specific breastfeeding-friendly criteria set by the WHO and UNICEF.
I used to do a lot of volunteering in high school and college, but really haven't done a lot since my son was born except the LLL stuff. As he gets older, I'll probably get more involved in local volunteering- right now caring for him is a 24-7 endeavor, so it's hard to join groups.

[Ansem]

For our sportclub, once a while we go around picking up old paper for the town, city hall pays us in return and it lowers the member fees. It's voluntarily done by members so it's a great way to help the community and yourself.

[pwcross]

Alli, on 05 November 2011 - 11:26 PM, said:

I used to do a lot of volunteering in high school and college, but really haven't done a lot since my son was born except the LLL stuff.

Hey, Alli,

I definitely wouldn't call running a breastfeeding support group and training for LLL "not a lot"! As a mom to a two-year-old boy who had lots of trials getting started with nursing after a cesarean and tongue-tie, I can tell you that women who volunteer to do what you do are indispensable. Thanks for what you do!

[Alli]

pwcross, on 06 November 2011 - 04:34 PM, said:

Hey, Alli,

I definitely wouldn't call running a breastfeeding support group and training for LLL "not a lot"! As a mom to a two-year-old boy who had lots of trials getting started with nursing after a cesarean and tongue-tie, I can tell you that women who volunteer to do what you do are indispensable. Thanks for what you do!

Thanks. I had a lot of problems, too, when I started nursing my son, and LLL was very helpful to me, which is what inspired me to get the training as a leader and take over the local support group when our former leader had to step down. I just really wanted to give back to the community that helped me so much.

[tigerlily78]

I'm currently a PTSA (Parent Teacher and Student Association) co-president ... I think it goes miles to show my kid how much I value education.

I am Secretary on the board of a local grassroots group promoting clean energy education and initiatives in our community... it's a fairly small group, but we are involved with some large issues at the local level. Right now we are immersed in a campaign to elect reform candidates to our local electric co-op board... the current board is horribly entrenched, self serving, and poised to build two new coal fired power plants.  :(

I am also involved in Boy Scouts. I was a former den leader from Wolves through Webelos II. Right now I am "taking it easy", and have elected not to pursue Scoutmaster training... but I am a merit badge counselor for about 20 badges, most of them in the realm of "Nature", "Environmental Science", "Mammal Study", etc.  I think Boy Scouts serves and important role is producing young men with practical skills and a well rounded education.

Just tonight I did some phonebanking from my home from the Sierra Club... the No Coal campaign is also working on the upcoming co-op board election, so we combined forces and resources this evening to make some phone reminders.  :)

I've previously volunteered with our local chapter of Keep America Beautiful, and a local trail group... both mostly involved road and trail clean up. It's quite sad how many adults in our society think public spaces are their trash can.  

[Belligerent]

I love volunteering at the American Red Cross. It isn't much, but I serve the people juice and food after they donate blood. I have a severe phobia of needles, but I want to get over that so I can donate blood. Since I haven't yet, I like to help out in other ways. It's really neat seeing people give blood to save lives. The least I can do is give them some food and juice so they can drive home safely. :)

[Zachariah]

I like to try and get support from as much people as possible to help the campaign for 'Highlands Before Pylons' who are fighting to stop large hydro electric companies from running power lines via giant pylons through the natural beauty of Scotland which will scar and destroy the wonderful scenery, affect the health of those living in rural communities and destroy the habitat of many species of indigenous wildlife. http://www.hbp.org.uk/default.htm

[steph84]

Wow, I'm so proud of everyone's generosity on this thread. I was just going over all of the posts and am truly amazed. We are starting up a family tradition where we volunteer at a local food drive and spend Thanksgiving feeding the needy. My sister handed out deserts and ran the drinks during last year's Thanksgiving and I plan on doing something similar this Christmas. I'm always looking for new organizations to support, so thanks for the ideas everyone!

[GreenQueen]

A group that i volunteer with is Americorps. This program is excellet. Ive been to Grand Rapids, Michigan to help clean up local parks. That day we helped pave a basketball court for the kids in the community. The park aslo had a pool that we went in with our scrb brushes and cleaned. Americorps is amazing. I did this my senior year of High School and i was working with people of all ages. The ages ranged from 18- 47. Depending on locating I can help locate a few jobs for anyone. Thanks so much

[aspen]

I am involved in environmental groups. The one I am very active with at the moment, as it concerns me directly, is the group we help form, it's the West Wellington Protection Group.   http://www.wwpg.info/