I know many people of pre-retirement age who earn livings on the road; some work remotely, while others take seasonal jobs that target RVers, like Amazon fulfillment centers, the sugar beet harvest, and camp hosting at campgrounds and RV parks.
I am fortunate to travel and not have to juggle working too, but I seek out short-term volunteer opportunities. It is time to give back, and it’s a great way to get to know the community I’m in. Here’s what I’ve learned.
If You Show Up, You’re Qualified
I’m a fifty-something woman with a handful of skills and a disease that makes me run to the bathroom at a moment’s notice. No problem! If you are a warm body with a good attitude and a willingness to contribute, charities and community groups will be pleased as punch to get you.
The Smaller The Group, The Greater The Need
I volunteered for the Special Olympics in Seattle,
and for a small community food bank on Hayden Island in Portland, Oregon.
With the Special Olympics I planned well in advance, completed forms online, and visited the volunteer office days before the event to pick up my gear and complete paperwork.
With the food bank I saw a flyer for a canned food drive, called the posted number and asked if they needed any help, and volunteered the next day.
Not all opportunities can be arranged at a moment’s notice, but if you keep your eyes and ears open and focus on small groups, they will rarely say no to someone willing to help.
It’s Not All Inspiring And Meaningful
At the Special Olympics I did not get to watch the competitors; I was stationed by a brick wall and a bathroom, handing out bottles of water to friends and family.
In Palm Springs, I had aspirations of working the information booth for the Palm Springs Animal Shelter at festivals and art walks; their greatest need was washing food bowls and laundry.
Three years ago in Palm Springs I gave tours of an historical home, but when I returned last year, the home was closed for seismic retrofitting. The only niche I could fill was scanning photo negatives as PDFs. YAWN.
The Rewards Can Be Great
I recently completed my first gig volunteering at a National Park.
At Fort Vancouver in Washington, I spent Independence Day working with reenactors and interpreters in full period dress, checking them in and out of the fort and updating paperwork. I learned so much about the fort and what it takes to be an historical interpreter.
An extra, added benefit: You can earn a National Parks Pass, good for one year, in exchange for 200 volunteer hours with the National Park Service.
Do you volunteer on the road? What types of activities and events have you experienced?
This Post Has 9 Comments
I just love all your posts. Awesome way for all of us to give back. Thank you for writing all of this info.
As always thank you, thank you. Love the stories and being a volunteer is great fun.
Like you, I won’t need any money when I finally hit the road next year, but it sure would be fun to find some volunteering opportunities. Becky (the DW) wants to volunteer with animals, while I would rather be a guide or mentor. Who knows where we will end up or what we will be doing. Thanks for the tips.
Fantastic post! Looking forward to implementing some of your suggestions in the coming years.
Love your new hair do…
Tammy,
You are looking great! We have found some RV groups through Escapees that volunteer as groups to improve/fix/maintain churches and camps across the country. About three weeks of 4, 6 hour work days and free mostly full hookup campsites included. We have met some great people that way. We are camp hosting for our second time at Lake Cascade ID. Both of these options take long term commitments (about a month or more). I love your ideas for short term volunteer ops! I get bored sometimes and, often want to volunteer and am not around long enough to make it work. Thank you!
Kudos to you, Tammy, for your volunteer work. I certainly agree, it can be very satisfying.
You have such a great talent for writing and expressing yourself. You always inspire me! Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
BTW, cute hair cut.
I look forward to the next installment and safe travels!
Love your posts, Tammy. An easy thing some RVers can do is to donate blood. I found it was a great way to meet some locals and learn a little more about an area. (Only problem is that you may never get off their donor call list!)
I read a bunch of RV logs, but I always forget you are a fellow Crohnnie. Thanks for the smile at the moment’s notice run to the potty. Been there a million times. Wait, I will be right back, where was I, oh, hold on, I will be back again. Repeat.