The listings provide more than a phone number. Users can find the mission of the organization posting the job, a description of work they'll be doing, and often the dates and times volunteers are needed. If you are looking to volunteer for a specific cause or already have a nonprofit organization in mind, check its home page. The America Online Foundation recently launched helping.org , which allows volunteers to search for positions, share stories, and access information on getting started and making the most of volunteer time. Families and singles are invited to spend a week clearing the trails of the Grand Canyon or restoring the steelhead of a stream running through Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon.
International opportunities abound.
Tulla Doherty, a freelance translator and mother of four in Fairfax, volunteers for Communities in Action, which teaches jobs skills to at-risk teens and homeless families. Yet in all of her hours of volunteering, Doherty hasn't left her home and has had no interaction with the teens and families involved. Her job is to translate newsletters and other materials into Spanish. Jeff Wiedner of Fairfax also has a volunteer job that keeps him in front of his computer. He's been developing marketing plans and media lists for a nonprofit organization in Texas ever since.