Happy International Volunteer Day

By Judah Jones

Today, December 5th, is International Volunteer Day! The United Nations has dedicated today as a day to commemorate, celebrate, and recognize all of those who volunteer their time and resources for humanitarian causes across the world.

This year’s theme is collective action. As we celebrate those who commit their time to volunteering, collective action asks us to think about what the world could be like “If Everyone Did.” Only by coming together as a global community of volunteers can we support each other and contribute to a better world. It is often hard to think of ways that we can get involved volunteering, so we at MiniMUN have come up with a few ideas of ways that you can get involved with volunteering!

1. Community-Based Organizations

Community-based organizations can be an excellent way to get involved with volunteering. Just a quick internet search can connect you with groups in your own city, neighborhood, or community that are committed to volunteering and doing service for others. Whether it is your local food bank, housing shelter, or pet adoption center, there are countless opportunities to get involved with volunteering in a way that directly helps others.

2. Benefit Drives

Organizing a benefit drive can be another great way to get involved with volunteering, especially with friends. Collecting various resources for those in need can be an excellent way to volunteer while having a direct impact on people’s lives. Many community-based organizations, like those we talked about above, are always looking for willing volunteers to organize the collection of seasonal clothing, food, hygiene products, and many other needed goods. All it takes is a couple of willing volunteers to organize a drop-off location and deliver the collected items!

3. Activism

Social activism can be another great way to get involved in volunteering. Spreading awareness about issues that you are passionate about is not only helpful to others, but is simple and easy to do. You can volunteer with a local political campaign, start a social media page about an issue that you care about, or attend your local government meetings with a group that is concerned about a specific issue. Raising your voice is not only important, but can bring real change that helps those in need. Especially when organizing together in groups, we can all make our voices heard by volunteering our time and energy to raising awareness.

4. School

Another great way to get involved with volunteering is through school. Many schools offer service organizations, service learning opportunities, and other ways of participating in volunteering that are already organized by the school. See if your school has any! Additionally, volunteering doesn’t have to come outside of the classroom. Helping by tutoring other students, working with an extracurricular activity for younger students, and even helping run Model UN are all examples of how you can volunteer your time to make a better experience for everyone in your school!

This International Volunteer’s Day, think about how you can make a difference in your community when you share your time and energy with your peers, neighbors, and community!

We at MiniMUN are incredibly passionate about volunteer work, especially in the classroom. Consider volunteering to teach Model UN at a local school or organization with our curriculum! Click here for more info.