12 Days of Volunteerism

One of the most impactful and fulfilling ways to give back is to get directly involved in charitable efforts that positively impact community organizations. In the spirit of volunteerism, here are my 12 favorite organizations to partner with. I encourage you to try these or to start traditions of your own.

1. Organize gifts at the Family Giving Tree Warehouse. I personally contribute to the Family Giving Tree Holiday Wish Drive each year and then follow it up by spending time at the warehouse organizing the gifts for distribution to area agencies. This year Family Giving Tree celebrated fulfilling their one millionth wish.
2. Build for a day on site with your local Habitat for Humanity chapter. I truly enjoy the playhouse build program with Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley. These playhouses are donated to various organizations and often raise hundreds of dollars at live auctions.
3. Staff Gracie’s Clothes Closet for an afternoon with Sacred Heart Community Service. Here I had the opportunity to shop with various family members and help select clothes.  The Clothes Closet serves over 300 families each day.
4. Serve food at an InnVision & Shelter Network. In my experience, I had a wonderful time serving food to the community.  Over 90 percent of families graduating from their transitional shelters secured and maintained permanent housing.
5. Make lunch for the Day Worker Center in Mountain View and share food with its members. In my conversations over lunch I was able to connect with the workers about our favorite pastimes. The center helps workers realize their dreams.
6. Prepare the farm for winter at Hidden Villa. I spend the majority of my week online and in the office. It comes as a breath of fresh air to be out in nature and working in agriculture. Hidden Villa serves 30,000 people each year through its programmatic outreach.
7. Assemble science kits with RAFT for area schools.  It is great to be at the warehouse when teachers arrive to make purchases and you see the joy on their faces by all that RAFT offers to enhance their classroom. In 2011 alone, 12,050 educators supported 828,000 students with RAFT materials.
8. Mentor a student through an organization like We Teach Science. I am inspired by the progress I make week to week with my mentee. The parents see the benefit as 81 percent noticed a difference in their child’s math skills since the start of the program.
9. Volunteer at a clubhouse with your local Boys & Girls Club chapter.  My visits to the Boys & Girls club are so refreshing. I love their programs that teach kids about staying active and fit. Boys & Girls Clubs serve over 4 million children annually.
10. Plant trees with Canopy and join in their “Healthy Trees, Healthy Kids” initiative. This past October I was onsite at Brentwood Academy in East Palo Alto planting trees side by side with families from the school. This is a multi-year initiative to plant 1,000 trees in the community.
11. Commit to getting in shape while supporting a great cause by signing up for 2013 events such as the MS Walk or the Friends of Stevens Creek Trailblazer Race.  These are my favorite events to participate in with my friends.  One gives hope to people suffering from a difficult disease and the other is to support one of our most beautiful community resources, an urban-suburban trail.
12. Ring the bell for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign. The joy of a child as they put money in the kettle is so heartwarming.  Support the Salvation Army where 90 cents on the dollar goes to life changing programs.

These are just a fraction of the many ways you can donate your time this holiday giving season. While you’re at it, inquire about volunteerism opportunities within your workplace and seek out volunteer activities that are being promoted company-wide.  At Microsoft, we just capped off our participation in the Family Giving Tree Holiday Wish Drive by volunteering for an afternoon at their warehouse in Cupertino.

Take some time to learn about your company’s corporate matching program as well. Many companies match time and money donated with dollar amounts, which can amplify the impact of the work and donations you make this holiday season. At Microsoft, we have a generous matching program that 83 percent of our employees have taken advantage of this year, a record participation rate for our Silicon Valley campuses.

Make the most of 2012 by getting active. Make sure you have not only given of your financial resources, but of your time and energy this holiday giving season as well.