Do a lot more Volunteer Work. Our new president provided much inspiration in his inauguration speech about gettin up, dusting ourselves off, and taking action to make a better America. While volunteer work has always been something that was ingrained in us as children, as we get further into our adult lives, the process of accruing money and success often eclipses our philanthropic intentions. I vow to revisit my altruistic ideals and get more involved in 2009. Here are some great organizations that provide just that very opportunity.

• Big Sunday – www.bigsunday.org - This organization boasts the largest annual citywide service event in America with hundreds of events and organizations you can volunteer with depending on your preference. Last year I chose to help clean up a rundown cat shelter in Glendale, and it was a really rewarding experience. I even almost adopted a cat that day. This year’s event will be held May 2nd and 3rd. Start checking the website for listings of different volunteer opportunities all over the county starting in April.
• LA Works – www.laworks.com – This is another fabulous resource for a slew of LA based organizations, many with revolving volunteer opportunities. I’m interested in pursuing the Aviva Center, which is a center for abused and neglected teens. They only ask for two hours of your time to participate/ supervise in various athletic or artistic activities to brighten the day for these kids. Teens seem to be a segment of the population that is often forgotten and who need to be reached out to the most. I also want to  check out the Food Bank of Southern California and the PetSave Foundation.

• Volunteer Match – www.volunteermatch.org – An organization that matches people up with service opportunities in their area by zipcode or interest. The Voice for the Animals Foundation sparked my interest. They are always in need of volunteers to walk, interact with and socialize the animals that they’ve taken in off the streets and prepare them to be adopted.

My mom always said that when you are going through a rough time ( and let’s face it – our country has seen better days) the best way to get on the road to feeling better and moving forward is to help others. So true, so get out there and make a difference.

http://media.ymca.net/ws-moments-of-struggle.wmv

At DoshaCare we are proud to be part of The Y Catalog community and to do our part in making the world a better place. Visit www.doshacare.com to see how else we try to care for our planet and the people inhabiting it. And look for our first Holistic Health Report to come out early 2009 with amazing advice on caring for our entire being from our spirituality to our physicality.