Mr. Funk E. Dude
I've talked about this before. It's something that you'll see me bring up over and over again.
If you are feeling aimless, a little depressed, and in need of grounding...
VOLUNTEER.
Find a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, a senior citizen center, a hospice, a charity, somewhere you can be in the service of others.
Something happens to us when we serve others. It takes us out of our heads. It centers us.
It just helps.
Trust me.
VOLUNTEER. Help yourself, by helping others.
DoubleTreble 🥰🌸🌍🌹💚🐱🧶🫖
@Mrfunkedude
Hey Mrfunke you are soooo right with this one, when I was employed it was with my local #Hospice in one of their Charity/thrift shops.
Now I'm out of work I volunteer at my local #FoodPantry I work with a great little team, doing real good for people who need help just putting food on the table. I have met some great folks and made some excellent friends. It does my heart and soul good ???
St Joan ?of Mastodon:? Saint
@voynich @That_One_Guy @Mrfunkedude
You might be better off looking at what you do like and none of us know. Eg.. I love spending time in the park by the creek.. you don't need other folks to be with you to #volunteer.
Take some gloves and a #garbage bag and adopt the creek. Keep it clean and tidy. You take a bag of garbage to the bin and a huge amount of pride home with you.
This isn't a suggestion please note. It's a thought #process.
Jean
@That_One_Guy @Mrfunkedude that does sound excellent but I am not well suited - dog allergy, mild cat allergy, nervous and jumpy around unfamiliar animals. I’d be more trouble to them than help and I’d struggle to breathe the whole time ?
𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓
@voynich @Mrfunkedude In my area there are quite a few animal shelters that need volunteers. If you're not an animal person it's probably not a good fit but it's very rewarding to help animals in need while they look for a home. You're also helping people as you're getting the animals ready for their forever home.
Jean
@Mrfunkedude how do you recommend finding a spot to volunteer? I tried reaching out to a food bank and they never responded. I tried another organization and all their volunteer activities were more…political in ways I don’t want to participate in. I don’t have any friends local to me who volunteer anywhere. I would love to do something to help others but it seems I lack the social and community connections required to get started
JudeNunga
Also remember you can help people without having to be part of some organised charity.
Volunteering is a great thing, until it is used by your government as a punishment for being unemployed. In Australia people are forced to "volunteer" at charities etc, or lose the tiny pittance they get because they are unemployed. Most are disabled, people who are nearing retirement age, or people who have chronic illness.
These people are used as slave labour by charities, and are treated very badly in a lot of these places. These "charities" are often large religious businesses.
I will never volunteer at places that are part of this government scheme to punish people who can't work a job, or can't get paid employment because of various disabilities, illness, age etc.
I know it is different in other countries, and totally agree with volunteering and helping others. In Australia, you need to be careful about where you volunteer, and the ethics of those who want your free labour.
Who Beefed?
@Mrfunkedude I recommend mutual aid groups like food not bombs.
CautionWIP 🇨🇦+🏳️🌈= :CApride:
@voynich @Mrfunkedude A lot of cities and towns maintain websites where local orgs post volunteer opportunities. Just put your city name and the word volunteer I to the search engine of your choice and you can probably find a bunch. You can also check with your local United Way for a list of programs and orgs they support and use that to see what’s out there. A lot of volunteer work is boring as shit, but helping out with it frees up program staff to deliver services.
CautionWIP 🇨🇦+🏳️🌈= :CApride:
@voynich @Mrfunkedude If you’re Canadian, check out Charity Village.
Wonderdog
@voynich @Mrfunkedude So, I’m not good at being around people, but I volunteer online, by editing OCR resources. For me, that’s enough. I’m a big introvert, though!
amon030
@Mrfunkedude did that. Didn’t work for me. Sorry man, your solution is by far not universal. If you’re depressed, would you really be willing to surround yourself with people who are homeless or addicted? Wouldn’t it boost your depression even more?
Mr. Funk E. Dude
@amon030 it depends on your perspective.
For me, it helped. It got me out of my own head. Instead of focusing on my problems, I was able to serve others and allow myself to be nurturing and empathetic.
And of course, there is no universal solution to any problem. What works for others, may not work for you.
And if you find that nothing seems to help with your depression, maybe it's time to seek professional help if you haven't already?
I hope that you find the peace that you need.
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