You Can Make Time for Volunteering Too

1. Evaluate current commitments

 

First and foremost, it is critical for you to prioritise commitments that are essential to you, such as CCA, academics, and personal growth. A good way is to start by evaluating your daily activities and identifying what truly matters to you. This self-assessment will allow you to create a balanced schedule that accommodates both your personal interests and community service. For instance, instead of spending excessive hours on social media or video games, it’s essential for one to allocate time meaningfully to causes that they believe in. Dedicating just a portion of your day or week to supporting local non-profit organisations, volunteering at community events, or participating in charities can have a significant impact on your community.

Another important aspect is to plan ahead and predict your commitment levels. If you’re an incoming Secondary 3 student, you might wish to wait for the workload to ease off first, especially since the jump between lower and upper Secondary might take a while for you to be familiar with. It’s always important to evaluate what future commitments you might have to avoid clashing external volunteer commitments with schoolwork, which might cause burnout really quickly.

Ultimately, the key to volunteering is discipline and intention. Remember to commit to what truly matters to you, instead of just joining projects for the sake of it. This enhances the fulfillment and purpose you get out of the long hours you spend on your project, and also ensures its long-term sustainability. 

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2. Combining hobbies and volunteering

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Combining hobbies with volunteering is an easy way to make community service more enjoyable and sustainable. Participating in initiatives that align with your personal interests means you’re more likely to have greater interest and expertise, and can even enhance your personal skills in that particular activity.

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For instance, one who enjoys art can volunteer to teach drawing or craft classes to underprivileged students or elderly in old folks homes in Singapore. Similarly, someone passionate about their sport can organize fitness events to promote health and wellness in the community, or coach underprivileged students with little access to expensive coaching facilities. 

 

By integrating hobbies into volunteer activities, community service becomes more than just an obligation, but instead a fulfilling activity that deepens your passion for both aspects. It also makes finding friends to tag along for volunteering even easier! If your hobby in question also happens to be your CCA in school, you could easily convince them to tag along or help out in your project!
 

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3. Leveraging on technology

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With so many apps and websites out there, it’s really simple to find opportunities that match your interests and schedule. Whether it’s helping out with a short-term project or volunteering virtually from the comfort of your own home, there will always be a huge array of opportunities out there and there must be one that interests you!

The best part is that it’s all super flexible! You can find ways to give back without having to commit to long hours or stress about squeezing it into your school schedule. From tutoring kids online to designing posters for a local charity, these platforms connect you with causes that need your unique skills and passions. You could even check out YCDI’s upcoming December ad hoc, or find other amazing opportunities in our Telegram mailing list.

Technology makes volunteering opportunities so easily accessible for everyone, which becomes a great advantage if you’re starting your own project too! People of similar interests can easily chance upon your project on the various platforms that you choose to advertise on, and it also makes communicating information and organising sessions so much faster.
 

 

Conclusion

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So, what are you waiting for? With the large variety of volunteering opportunities, there will definitely be some that fit your schedule and interests! It’s such a great way to cultivate personal growth while meeting new people that share the same interests as you.

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We hope the tips outlined here will be useful for you! Feel free to reach out to us via email if you would like to chat further, and do fill in our feedback form to let us know what other topics you’d like us to cover. Thanks for reading :)