Throughout my life I have always tried to stay active as a volunteer. One of my first opportunities as a teenager was with Wildlife Rescue, Inc. in Tampa. Their main focus was on rehabilitating wounded Florida Panthers. What an experience it was to feed and help care for them. They also took in other animals, including reptiles and birds of prey. I will never forget climbing in to clean the cage of a wounded buzzard. He was on his perch watching my every move, it was quite intimidating to say the least.
The Annual Hillsborough River Clean-Up was another favorite of mine while growing up in Tampa. Hundreds of volunteers would show up with canoes and garbage bags to purge the river of trash left behind by the “inconsiderates”. (spell-check doesn’t like that word, so I maybe I just invented it). I have also participated in coastal clean-ups as well.
I enjoyed the ease of picking volunteer opportunities through Hands On Tampa. By that time I was older with children and looked for things they could help with. We put together food bags for the hungry, picked Oranges for the Gleaners, sung Christmas carols at a nursing home and much more. (Remember that one, Ginny?!)
Lately my volunteer opportunities are industry related. I enjoy working with Alachua Habitat for Humanity WomenBuild . I am happy to hear they are ready to start building House #6. A few months ago my NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) presented construction career opportunities to a local girl scout troop and promoted the construction industry through a Block Kids Competition.
This last weekend, in honor of Women in Construction Week our NAWIC chapter built and donated 3 raised garden boxes for the PACE Center for Girls. The teachers are creating a curriculum around the boxes to include planting, tending, harvesting and maybe even canning.
I urge you to get out there and make the world a better place, at least your small corner of it.
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