Volunteer, Pensacola Needs You! One of the best things about Northwest Florida is all the things we have 
going on! We are blessed to have beautiful beaches to walk and rivers to canoe, then there are the great shopping venues, sports events, concerts and festivals. Wheewww . . . like I said, lot's to do.
Now while that's all tons of fun, at some point most of us want to give back to our commuity as well. Pensacola is doubly blessed . . . in addition to our beautiful setting and so many activities to participate in, we also have so many opportunities to volunteer.
Why volunteer? Here are my three favorite reasons:
- It'll keep you young. I don't have any proof, but my grandmother said so. She lived to 92, doing lots of volunteer work and she was young to the end so I take it as a fact!
- It's a great example for the kids. I started getting my son to help with the pancake breakfast at the senior center when he was four. It was one of his favorite things to do and I believe it laid a great foundation of volunteerism in him.
- You'll just feel better. I promise!
Well, what are some of the HOT opportunities for volunteers? Here are just a few:
Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida - This nonprofit center cares for injured or orphaned indigeneous wildlife. I was recently at the Garden Gate Earth Day Celebration and the volunteers from the Wildlife Sanctuary were there with two owls and a falcon. One of the owls was just a baby, fluffy instead of feathery and as round as a baseball!
The Wildlife Sanctuary accepts these injured or orphaned wild animals, provides medical care, rehabilitation and fostering. They also provide community education, like the program I - and dozens of others - attended at the Garden Gate. This program focused on providing a habitat for wildlife and why it is so important to do so.
Think you'd like to help with their efforts? To learn more about how you can volunteer, contact Leticia Grove, at lfreeland22@yahoo.com. You can also visit their website: Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida
Habitat for Humanity - We have a very active group in the Pensacola area. A total of 71 homes were built in 2007 alone! They have a great website: Habitat for Humanity that's well organized and gives a great overview of their program and all the volunteer opportunities available.
Want to work on a construction crew? How about volunteer in the home store? Or is office work or fundraising more to your liking? There's something for everyone and an awesome way to get involved, meet new friends and help the comunity.
West Florida Hospital - Now, hospitals are obvious places in need of volunteers. And with so many programs at West Florida Hospital the volunteer opportunities are tremendous. Did you know that West Florida Hospital provides free memory screening? They also have numerous support groups and a healthy living membership organization. All of these programs need volunteer help. To learn more about the volunteer opportunities at the West Florida Hospital call 494-4188.
So, get to it! Volunteer, Pensacola Needs You!
Robin Sherman Realtors, Coldwell Banker United Realtors, We're Meeting Real Estate Needs in Northwest Florida. Contact us at www.PensacolaForYou.com
Robin: My wife, my son and I have worked with Habitat here in the Round Rock area for several years now and I have to say, I LOVE IT! There is nothing like the look in the eye of someone who so desperately needs a home as they watch it going up right before them! I hope many in your area will answer the call as well!
Great post. The rewards of volunteering cannot be expressed in words. When you help others , somehow your problems disappear.
Steve - How right you are. Coldwell Banker JME (now Coldwell Banker United) has a long history of sponsoring Habitat homes. It's a very special partnership and one that makes so much sense. I'm sure your son is really learning a lot from your example and from his opportunity to be involved in something so worthwhile. Congratulations!
Gita - Thanks so much for your comment. I agree - we sometimes need to focus on good works really see how small our own problems are.