Volunteering

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Why You Need a Car to Volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters

The Pulitzer

Two readers wrote to Prince of Petworth to ask about doing some good:

I recently upgraded my kitchen pots and pans, and want to get rid of my old ones. They’re a decent brand (Calphalon) and are about 4 years old…Assuming they’d be accepted, does anyone have a recommendation of a good charity? I currently live near the U-street corridor, and while I’d prefer to donate to an organization that serves my immediate community, I’m not opposed to other suggestions.”

Below that request, another reader wondered about volunteer opportunities in D.C. If some of you have similar questions, the comments section is full of great ideas and answers. I know so many people who are open to giving their time to help others but feel unsure of how to start. This suggestion caught my eye:

Big Brothers Big Sisters for the DC area also has an urgent need for male volunteers. (Particularly those that qualify as minority, but I’m not sure they’re that picky.) You do need to own or be able to use a car on a regular basis to do BBBS, though. (Zipcar membership counts.)

That comment surprised me. I was unaware that to volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, you had to have access to a car. I was less surprised about the need for diverse mentors. I couldn’t stop thinking about the “car”-requirement; I wondered if it prevented people from getting involved, since most of my friends in D.C. do not drive.
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Volunteer with WAMU!

And now a note for my sponsors (who did not ask me to publicize this, in any way. Aren’t they awesome?). I helped my local stations during their pledge drives when I was in high school, back home in Northern California. I had a lot of fun doing it, too. That’s why I’m posting this:

WAMU 88.5 is looking for volunteers to help answer phones for its fall membership campaign, from Saturday, October 16, to Friday, October 22. Meet other members of the WAMU and AU community, provide a very important service to the station, and enjoy a nice dinner. To sign up, visit http://wamu.org/support/volunteer/campaign/ .

If you enjoy Diane Rehm, Kojo, The Animal House or are merely a fan of the mellifluous stylings of Kavitha Cardoza and Sabri Ben-Achour, please consider volunteering!