Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County has expanded exponentially as the demand for adequate housing and affordable payments surpassed the number available in the county. The East Polk County Chapter focuses on providing local citizens with a home. Each expecting homeowner is required to volunteer for a minimum of 250 hours on their home but without the help of community volunteers, they would be unable to build these homes.

The Polk County Chapter of the American Red Cross offers aid for the community in emergence situations. They offer CPR training, host workshops and provide other forms of instruction for residents. Volunteering for the American Red Cross allows the organization to adequately prepare for disaster situations, reach the community in times of need and subsequently, help rebuild.

The Lake Wales Care Center provides an array of community services. They cannot positively influence the surrounding area without numerous volunteers performing a vast quantity of services. Everything from Meals-On-Wheels to office tasks are completed with the help of volunteers. The community knows the Care Center will provide assistance in times of need.

Keep Polk County Beautiful strives for a clean, environmentally friendly community. With the help of volunteers, the organization not only actively improves the community but they promote environmental activities to highlight current concerns and emphasize the importance of keeping the community ‘beautiful.’ Keep Polk County Beautiful’s programs, such as waste reduction, recycling and disposal of solid waste, would be severely hindered is it wasn’t for the dedication of volunteers.

An organization I am very fond of is Big Brothers Big Sisters. They revolve around the participation of their volunteers. Big Brothers Big Sisters caters to the needs of the adult volunteers and the younger applicants. If there were no individuals willing to participate, the association would be entirely unsuccessful; volunteers play a chief role. They organization relies on the contributions of time from community members to give back to the less fortunate.

I have been inflicted with three colds since February.  Unfortunately, they all lingered long enough to become irritating and then slowly faded away just in time to be replace by a new illness with similar symptoms.

The time spent trying to recover from the repetitive colds hindered my ability to function normally.  Therefore, volunteering took a back seat on a few occasions the past few months.  Sometimes, sleeping in or staying home was more important for my health than hammering nails or spending time with my little and risking getting her sick. 

I am optimistic that the month ahead will be illness-free and as a result, volunteering can reclaim its rightful place as a priority.

The hope is to build 12 homes this year, which is incredible for a volunteer based, non-profit organization.  To achieve this goal, Habitat for Humanity needs volunteers.  Local businesses have been vital to their success since their establishment in the community in 1977.

Whirlpool generously donates a refrigerator and oven for each home Habitat for Humanity builds locally.  Home Depot donates tools and equipment as well as sponsors their employees if they volunteer on the job site.  A local family donated enough money to fund two homes in Haines City this year.  Without these contributions of time, tangible goods and money, Habitat’s hopes for the upcoming year would be obsolete.

Habitat needs you.  They cannot continue their work in our community without your help.  Follow in Bridgett and Susy’s footsteps as they make a difference in their community.

For More from Bridgett and Susy follow these links.
Bridgett and Susy do Magic
Bridgett and Susy go Shopping

The aim of this website is to improve the life of animals living in hunger. Basically, when you enter the site there is a large box to the right of the screen which indicates where to click to provide free food for animals. The way it works is once you click the box, the sponsors of the site contribute bowls of food for every time the box is clicked. In return, they advertise their products on the website.

What makes this site even better is that there are five other sites which operate in the same manner. At the top of the screen there are 6 tabs: Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health, Literacy, Rainforest and last but not least, Animal Rescue.

Each page is color coordinated for easy navigation. The home page explains how the ‘click to give’ process works. It also provides additional information individual to each site, such as how the program functions, who it helps and how the previous support has benefited the organization.

Related pictures are also included on each page; you know the type, a touching and expressive picture which makes you want to donate money. The great benefit of this well structured site is all you have to do is click to give!

Fortunately, volunteering is so much more. The simple act of helping a friend when their car breaks down or spending a Saturday afternoon sodding a neighbors yard is a selfless service which should be recognized.

On Saturday my family and I sodding the entire backyard and would have been unable to complete the labor without the help of our next-door neighbors. They offered without being asked and expected nothing in return.

The benevolent acts individuals perform on a daily basis make a difference in the community. Every neighborly act, compassionate action or generous deed is a way of serving others selflessly; and isn’t that what volunteering is all about?

Nyrie Mann hosted a V-DAY awareness program on March 26 at the South Lake Wales Church of God to augment awareness of violence against women.

Students are also partaking in the beautification of Lake Wales. The future Student Government President, Nick Stohler, aided in the clean up of the Lake Wales High School landscaping in Fall 2008.

Many Warner students have contributed to the amelioration of the community. Whether the volunteer actions are orchestrated by the campus or independently conducted, Warner students are making a positive mark on Lake Wales.

Keep up the hard work.

After spending a year’s worth of Saturday mornings building homes for Habitat for Humanity of East Polk County, this idea of a “graceful” volunteer has been shattered. Clumsiness and lack of coordination are areas this volunteer resides in.

There are only so many hammers that can be dropped before people notice the gracelessness of an individual. The volunteering efforts do not go unnoticed but neither do the countless splinters and bruises. Warnings, such as “Watch out! Valeries got power tools” are hard-earned cautionary labels.

A particularly unforgettable, graceless event occurred the morning a hammer fought back.

A failed inspection proved that the trusses were under-supported and needed additional butterfly clips. There was very limited room in which to maneuver tools to correct the mistake.

After repeatedly banging the top of my head on the outside framework, a modification was in order. So, in a crouched position on top of a 6 foot ladder, work proceeded. The hammer hit the metal clip instead of the nail head on one occasion and unfortunately, it bounced back quite viciously, into my forehead.

Thankfully, no one was around to witness the event, but the bump that protruded from my forehead was a dead giveaway. Better modifications were made to avoid a similar repercussion, or a concussion.

This video clip made me think of my accident:

Here are 4 ways to relieve the pressure and find the enjoyable side of life:

1.Felling the pressure of university as exam week approaches and more assignments are due than days left in the semester? Take the edge off by free-falling into the air with an elastic cord as the only restraint.

Bungee jumping is the activity of jumping from a fixed structure while wearing a harness attached to a stretchable cord.  The cord stretches and snaps back while the individual rebonds through the air until the energy is completely released from the cord and gravity does what it does best.  While being vigorously thrown up and down, that Biology exam should feel trivial.

2.There are only so many burgers that can be flipped or phones answered before the mundane repetition of that part time job begins to wear down patience and composure.  Take a break to interact with nature and climb away from the frustration.

Rock climbing will help stimulate those areas of your brain which have been dormant.  It takes a great deal of concentration and ability to scale a mountain.  Climb higher instead of settling into a rut.

3.Overcome the drab of a predictable daily routine by shattering boundaries.  Why not jump 13,000 feet into the air and fall uninhibited towards the ground?  I dare you to think about cooking dinner or spring cleaning as you fall 120 miles an hour through the air.

Skydiving, also known as parachuting, is where a person jumps from a plane and falls until a parachute is deployed.  Add some zest to the routine and let the humdrum fall away.

4.Volunteering can take its toll on an individual as countless hours are invested in tasks other than work or university-related obligations. The constant activities and programs can become very draining; an opportunity to break away from responsibilities can rejuvenate the spirit.

Go whitewater rafting.  The thrill of fighting the elements or risk being thrown into the unforgiving water is the remedy.  Do not let the volunteering responsibilities become a burden, take the time to reward the good deeds and face the water.

If a career in non-profit work is of interest, there are great tools available on the web to aid in the search.

Idealist.org provides a database of not only available jobs, but internships, volunteer positions and much more. Once a category has been selected, the database offers the user the ability to narrow the search by specifying areas of importance. Students emerging into the job field may choose to specify the education level attained.

Nonprofitcareer.com is a directory of non-profit organizations. The categories are arranged alphabetically for convenient browsing. Contact information and website addresses are provided for most entries. This site is especially useful for users unaware of the vast quantity of non-profit organizations in service.

Nonprofitjobs.org focuses on connecting employers with job-seekers. Users create an account to interact with the job postings, the consulting service and other members. Nonprofitjobs.com is much like the monster.com for non-profit careers.

Students shouldn’t feel intimidated by the approaching graduation. Websites such as these should stimulate a sense of excitement as a new chapter begins. Take the time to browse the sites. There is a career out there for you.

1. Offer a service. To fundraise, provide the public with assistance for a fee. A great way to do this is a car wash or an auction where individuals are sold for a day of yard work or cleaning. Who wouldn’t want someone else to do the dirty work they’ve been avoiding.

2. Make something. Creating something unique or original, such as homemade cards, provides a creative means of fundraising. Everyone loves gifts specifically tailored for an event. Pink ribbons for Breast Cancer month or cookies designed to honor a local basketball team provide a way to cater to the public in a profitable manner.

3. Sell a product. Special events are the perfect time to fundraise. However, preparation is required to find the most profitable and suitable product for an event. You wouldn’t want to sell roses at a standard football game but selling roses for a homecoming game is much more ideal.

4. Accomplish something. Achieving a goal is a resourceful method of fundraising. Get people to sponsor your efforts but make sure you pick something worthy of sponsoring. Running a marathon or eating 20 hotdogs in 10 minutes can be a profitable occasion.

5. Do something out of the ordinary. People love to be entertained with unusual, bizarre or unexpected diversions, just make sure to keep it appropriate for the environment your in. Get the community to sponsor the event. Men: wax your legs. Local bakery: make a cookie five feet in diameter. The main goal is to make the event enjoyable.

The best way to fundraise is to use the resources available while catering to the target public. Keep it imaginative and enjoy the experience. The local organizations and charities will be grateful for your efforts.