Strengthening Bonds

If you’re looking to strengthen your relationships, or even forge new ones, there’s really no better bond than legitimately saving the world together–volunteer with friends! Chicago has dozens of volunteering opportunities right now and year-around. There is no shortage of options for friends to come together, roll up their sleeves, and help save the world. 

Think about it, chances are some of your fondest memories go back to when you’ve been part of a team. Working with friends is a guaranteed way to feed your soul through a sport, a cause, or even a job. It also allows tangible ways to give back to your community and build each other’s self-confidence. 

If volunteering is something that you’ve always felt called to do, ask your special other and friends to join you. You can use the added support for what can turn out to be a mentally exhausting activity. Together, you can play on each other’s strengths to tackle tough situations. 

Where can I sign up?

There are different ways of finding the right fit. You can go to the soup kitchens’ direct website by either yelping your nearest soup kitchen and then signing up directly through their website, or by signing up for a volunteer match website like volunteermatch.org where you can literally choose to be volunteered for anything from a crisis counselor to finding support for putting a nonprofit event together. 

If weather permits, you can even choose to have a “Beach Clean-Up Day”. It can end in a bonfire to reward yourselves for your hard work! 

The list is endless. If being a part of a group that helps strengthen each other’s value system sounds like your cup of tea (or coffee, no judgment), making a difference is only a signup sheet away. 

If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities specifically geared towards a cause as a result of the current coronavirus emergency, please refer to local hospital, clinic, school, and restaurant websites. Many neighborhoods, towns, cities, and organizations are organizing a variety of volunteering efforts to help support essential workers in the community as well as healthcare workers. Don’t forget to support your local small businesses at this time, many of whom may not survive this crisis. Now get out there and volunteer with friends!

To stay updated on the latest and most accurate information related to COVID-19, please refer to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.