Volunteer And Community-minded Options For AuDHD Girlies

Volunteer and Community-minded Options for AuDHD Girlies

author/ amanda/ august 15, 2023

Recycling

Community Cleanup

Free Little Library

Volunteering at an Animal Shelter

Donating

Building Bus Stop Benches

Volunteering in your community is not only beneficial to the society around you, but it offers many wonderful benefits for you and your personal growth! It creates a positive cycle of give and take, benefiting both the people volunteering and the entire community. AuDHD girlies can especially benefit from volunteering within their communities. If you struggle with employment, making friends and connecting with others, finding motivation, or even leaving your house, you may benefit emotionally or even physically from volunteering locally. Volunteering may help provide a sense of purpose and fulfillment, allowing girls and women with AuDHD to contribute to a cause they really care about. It gives them the chance to make a positive difference in the lives of others and their community, which in turn, can boost their self-esteem. Additionally, it gives AuDHD girlies the opportunity to connect with like-minded people and build social connections. It allows them to meet new people, develop friendships, and even expand their social network. This can possibly help to combat feelings of isolation, improve their social skills, and create a stronger support system within the entire community. Volunteering plays a crucial role in building stronger and more resilient communities. It helps to address social issues, supports vulnerable populations, and helps bridge gaps in services and resources. You may even learn about supports and programs in your area that might benefit you!

There are so many wonderful volunteer opportunities available that are capable of suiting the needs and interests of everyone <3

Furthermore, volunteering helps AuDHD girlies by providing practical experiences and opportunities for personal and even professional growth. Girls and women can develop leadership skills, better communication abilities, new problem-solving techniques, and gain valuable experiences that can be beneficial for any future interests you may have. Also, volunteering looks great on a resume. If you are struggling to find and/or keep work, volunteering is a way where you can grow and build up your skills on your own time without the looming stress of employment. By taking on these new challenges, and overcoming obstacles you’ve never experienced, you can develop better resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. Volunteering is the perfect platform for discovering potential, building confidence, and expanding your horizons.

Since volunteering exposes people to different perspectives, cultures, and experiences, it can foster empathy and understanding by interacting with people from diverse backgrounds and situations. Through this greater sense of empathy and understanding, you may be inspired to become an advocate for neurodiversity and inclusion in your own community. Volunteering can also help open your eyes to the different life experiences that are present in your community. When given the chance to witness the resilience and strength of others, it can inspire personal growth in yourself, expand your perspective, and encourage you to try new things. It may even ignite a passion in you for making a difference and empowering others as well as yourself. Getting to explore your interests in a positive, judgment-free, and casual environment will help you learn more about yourself and what you want out of life. Below are some great examples of volunteering opportunities that may catch the interest and be beneficial to AuDHD girls and women:

― Sip your water every time you read the word “community” in this post ;P ―

Animal Shelter

There are many chances for volunteering when it comes to animal shelters and rescues. Depending on your interests and participation levels, some interesting work you could take part in include dog walking, bathing, animal food collection, fostering, and more. Animal shelters also always need various supplies such as towels, crates, bowls, and the like.
Community Cleanup

If you enjoy beautification and making your community a better place to live, there are a variety of opportunities for community clean up. Depending on where you live, this may look like: park clean up, roadside clean up, paint and toxic chemical collection, recycling programs, beach clean up, ocean clean up, paper shredding events, neighborhood clean up, and more. If this interests you, be sure to wear the proper personal protective equipment and brightly colored clothing and/or a reflective vest to alert those around you to your presence. Picking up litter and trash is a great way to get out of the house, walk more, and make your community a better place to live, but it is important to be careful. There are trash items that could be considered dangerous. Make smart and safe decisions.
Donating

If you have difficulty separating from your belongings, are an avid collector, an absolute goblin girlie, or have struggled with hoarding, donating your belongings might be a great way to help yourself as well as your community. It’s best to start small so as not to overwhelm yourself! Though everyone cleans and organizes differently and it is important to do as such in the way that works best for you. Here is one tip to try: get two trash bags, one for actual trash and one for donation. Put these two trash bags anywhere you deem convenient and easily accessible. As you go about your days and weeks as normal, if you happen to come across any unnecessary trash or items you are completely sure you can live without, place them in the designated bag. As soon as they are filled, you can deal with them accordingly! However, don’t give yourself a timeline, take as long as you need. (If you’re not as inclined to donate belongings, donating blood or plasma is another great option.)
Collecting and Donating

Another type of donating involves the community. If you are willing and able, you could create a donation bin or participate in a community donation event where people bring specific items to donate for local causes. Some wonderful volunteer ideas involving donation are listed below:

Baby Blankets for the County Coroner and Local Hospitals

Many people don’t realize that your local coroner may need baby blankets for babies that have passed away. By providing clean baby blankets to the coroner, you can help grieving families who have to bury their babies. This can bring comfort to families during a difficult time. This is a topic most people unfortunately avoid, which makes this act of donation lesser-known. Also, hospitals often need and can benefit from baby blankets as well.
School Supplies

Not many realize that countless children of all ages are unhoused, struggling through food insecurity, and can’t get the necessities they need to thrive and succeed. School supply lists are getting longer and teachers cannot always provide. You could help by donating school supplies to local schools and getting involved in a community donation event. Consider starting a school supply donation box.
Non-perishable Food

Due to rampant food insecurity due to the state of our world, it is valuable to collect non-perishable food for struggling community members. If you yourself are food insecure, volunteering your time at a food bank, kitchen, community pantry, or donation event may help you get the supplies and support you need as well. If you currently have a place of employment or somewhere you frequent, consider starting a food donation box there.
Hygiene Products/ Care Packages

For countless people struggling with being unhoused, food is far from the only thing they need. Many unhoused girls and women have trouble accessing feminine hygiene products such as pads, tampons, menstrual cups, underwear, adult diapers, and panty liners. Creating care packages that include items such as these as well as deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, socks, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, nail files, water bottles, blankets, and even stuffed toys goes a long way.
Raise Money for a Baby Box

For some women, a baby box is the only place they can turn in a moment of vulnerability after giving birth. Primarily located at your local fire department, baby boxes are safe places where new mothers can place their baby so that the baby can get the support and care that they need to thrive. Baby boxes are quite expensive and fundraising in your community for a baby box for your local fire department may go a long way in helping vulnerable community members.
Become a Couponer

If your talents are directed more towards shopping, you may make a wonderful couponer. These days, couponing is far from clipping coupons in your local newspaper. Most stores have apps for couponing and there are a variety of additional apps specifically for couponers. You may be able to make donations to local drop off centers with your bounty of free or nearly free merchandise. For those who are thrifty and are suckers for a good deal, this may be just what you need to get that adrenaline rush while helping your community.
Stuffed Animals and Toys

Fire departments, hospitals, nursing homes, and shelters can benefit from stuffed animals not only for children, but for vulnerable adults seeking comfort. Children and adults who are either unhoused, going through a traumatic experience, riding in an ambulance, staying in the hospital, and more can benefit from the hug of a stuffed animal. In nursing homes, many elderly who suffer from dementia, lack of visitors, or their pet having been rehomed for better care, may enjoy a stuffed animal for comfort and affection.
Crocheting/Knitting

If you are crafty, you may be able to create hats, scarves, gloves, blankets, and more for unhoused or vulnerable individuals in your community. There are various drop off points and community services that can benefit from your skills and the items you create. This is especially important in the winter months.

Creating a Free, Little Library or Food Pantry

If you are a handy builder, you may be interested in creating a free little library or a communal pantry in your neighborhood. This is also a great way to clear out any books that have been piling up or any food that has not expired, but you have yet to eat. Other neighbors can participate as well, filling and taking from your little library or pantry. This is a great way to get the people around you involved as well.
Building and Painting Benches for Local Bus Stops

For unfortunate reasons, some areas may lack benches and appropriate seating options at local bus stops. Not only is this inhumane and anti-unhoused, it also makes it extremely inconvenient and frustrating for anyone to ride the bus at all. In order to respect and value our bus riding community members, it might be a great idea to take the initiative and build simple benches for your local bus stops. Painting them may also help beautify your community as well and it might even entice more people in your area to ride the bus. If your county is not going to step up, why not you?
Chaos Planting

Nature is something that everyone should value as the earth is our home and it is our duty to protect her. More and more, our native flowers, grasses, and other plant species are dwindling. Please research the native species that grow in your specific area before purchasing seeds. Spread these native seeds all over your community in places that are barren and lack nutrients. Putting these seeds in a salt shaker or other vessel may help you spread native seeds quicker and easier. Help revitalize your local environment and get others involved!