Get active in community, build resume with volunteering
Lizzy Walters
writer
Congratulations students, just a few more weeks! Are you looking forward to a summer filled with drinking booze, beach days and homework-free nights?
Well, before you give yourself entirely away to the alluring freedom, you might want to consider boosting your karma with some volunteering this summer.
You may need to make money this summer by getting a real job, but before you flock to the nearest Starbucks, you may want to consider volunteering. Volunteering looks great on a resume and can actually be fun.
Now, volunteering doesn’t have to be a long-term job. You can get a weekend stint at Edmonton’s Folk Festival where you guard the beer tent for a few hours in the burning sun and then have the rest of your time free to watch the folk artists perform. If you are inclined to hang out with a bunch of old hippies on a hill, holding candles and singing, you will love the Folk Fest.
You could also volunteer for the Fringe Festival and take advantage of the plays and fun atmosphere, or The Works Art and Design Festival, which hosts local artists. If you were hoping to broaden your mind this summer, these are the perfect places to do so.
If food is more your style, try your hand at volunteering for the Taste of Edmonton. You can find the best local restaurants in the city, while trying unique cuisine.
As you can see, there are a lot of fun options out there. But maybe you want a long-term opportunity.
In that case, you could volunteer for the Edmonton Humane Society. This position could offer you something as simple as taking dogs on walks or having animals waiting for adoption live in your home.
If you love animals, this is sure to be a positive and fun experience. If you have the time, you could also take on one of the more complicated jobs, such as assisting with annual fundraisers and special events.
However, if you’re not an animal person, there are other options. You could try the Red Cross and volunteer as a prevention educator, or work with at-risk youth or the creativity team, where you would create posters and artwork for the cause.
If you want more adventure, Greenpeace could be for you. To start off, you can sign up for the volunteer newsletter.
This will provide you with notifications for events that you can get involved in. If you really love the organization and want to contribute more, you can also join the Greenpeace Local Group.
In Edmonton, this could mean you end up hanging from the side of Shell for hours in the cold, but if you’re OK with that, go for it.
There are also many volunteer opportunities abroad, although many of them cost a significant amount of money.
However, if volunteering isn’t for you but you still want the karma boost to make up for your binge drinking, try the quick and dirty version: go and donate your blood. Sure it hurts, but that just means your karma will be even better.
