That's cool narnialover4! What kind of service are you doing now?
The nursing home project I mentioned in my last post went awesomely. We're planning on going back some more this school year.

I volunteer every week with Children that have special needs, and I do therapy with them on horses!!! It is so rewarding!!!!

I love opportunities like that, aslansothername! They're (the kids is what I meant, but I guess you could say the horses are, too. ) are so sweet!

I volunteer at a Christian music festival called Soulfest every year and do all kinds of jobs! it's really awesome and I love helping out!

I also help out every year doing VBS!

I do volunteer work at my mom's friends house. She cares for animals like dogs and cats at her own home and gives them better beds and food then in a pound. And we find better homes for them. I kept a few cats and two beagles, which I named one Caspian and the other Tirian.

I also volunteer as a PCA. I help people with disabilities and I help fight for Epilepsy.

None.

I have been jaded against volunteer work. I have nothing against it and have done it in the past. Some of it I have enjoyed- such as volunteering in a classroom and some of the projects my service fraternity did. Some of it I did not- partially because the activities were not a good match for me, but mainly because I was required to do it in order to enter and stay in NHS. At my secondary school, the principal only cared about the community service- to the point where she thought academics (my forte) were secondary to it and her favorite phrase was "empty 4.0".

I love my job- and yes, it is a service profession (public librarian). I give to charity- food for local pantries, clothes, books, toys, and cash when necessary. I am always doing nice things for my colleagues and giving gifts to their kids. But I have to recharge my batteries as well. You'd think I was doing more than enough already.

And unfortunately, volunteer work is NOT a substitute for a spouse. One cannot just do volunteer work in order to erase the need away. I have done more than enough already- not only no reward (I know it does not work this way), but it is not a replacement either.

These are the reasons why volunteer work is not.for.me.