Get involved volunteer!

FDA Consumer, Jan-Feb, 2002 by John Henkel

Interested in giving something back to your community? Do you have a special skill that you could lend to help others? If so, dozens of opportunities are available through volunteer programs run by federal agencies and private organizations. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has created a gateway site that makes it easy to examine many of these programs.

Whether your skills are in reading instruction, science education, the outdoors, or working with kids or seniors, there's an activity you can assist with. Helpers are needed for jobs such as monitoring water quality, land management, and leading tours of park areas. The HUD site also links to volunteer positions in organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity (which builds homes for needy folks). Interested? Check out the opportunities at www.hud.gov/volunteering/ index, cfm#Federal.