By Tori Miller and Ann Myres
Volunteering is a great way to give back to your neighborhood. You will not only be helping your community, but you can also meet new people and learn new skills. I’ve had great experiences volunteering in my community, and you can too. Many places in Hamilton County have opportunities—you just need to find the right fit to match your interests!
Helping People
If you enjoy helping people, you could volunteer at a nursing home. When I volunteered at a nursing home, some of my responsibilities included taking the residents to activities and birthday parties. I also helped serve food and would visit with and talk to the residents in their rooms.
You could volunteer at a local food pantry. I volunteered at the Anderson Ferry Food Pantry. My role was to look up the guests’ names, get their food together, and help them to their car.
Nature & Being Outside
Do you like being outside? You could volunteer at a summer camp where you can assist campers with outdoor activities. When I volunteered at Stepping Stones day camp, I would read to the children, play with them, and help with snack time.
Another option might be with the Great Parks of Hamilton County. They have many opportunities such as taking care of trails, monitoring bird boxes, gardening and more.
Animals
If you enjoy being around animals, you could volunteer at an animal shelter like the SPCA, Save The Animals Foundation, and Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society. They have volunteers help with cleaning up, walking dogs and socializing with the animals.
