Volunteering is a great way to uplift and enrich individuals, families, and communities. Here are a few ways to make sure that your volunteer activities have the greatest impact possible on you, your family, and the people and communities that you serve.

• Research the causes or issues that are important to you. Look for a group that deals with issues about which you feel strongly.
• Consider what you have to offer. If you enjoy outdoor work, or have a knack for teaching, you may want to look for a volunteer opportunity in which your special skills can be utilized. Similarly, you may want to think about your specific personality and how your organization skills or communication style might fit with different organizations or activities.
• Find the volunteer activity that fits your schedules. Organizations need different levels of commitment for different types of volunteer activities. Serving as a mentor, for example, will require a regular, intensive commitment, while volunteering for a walk-a-thon is a seasonal commitment.
• Choose an activity together. Discussing possible volunteer opportunities can be a great way to help kids think about what matters to them and can help you learn about each other as a family in new ways. Making the decision together is also a great way to ensure that everyone is excited about the activity.
• Start your own family tradition. It may be ringing bells to raise money during the winter or assisting with one of the National Days of Service, such as Make a Difference Day and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Check out www.mlkday.gov for more information.
• Invite the whole family. Use your volunteer activities as an opportunity to spend time with family members you don't see every day. Strengthen your entire family by including grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in your volunteering activities. You could even plan your own event — talk with your local park district and arrange your own project.
• Consider letting kids bring their friends. This may make the service experience more fun for them and could also inspire more families to get involved in volunteering.
• Think outside the box. Many community groups that are looking for volunteers — like neighborhood watch programs, prisons, disaster relief organizations, youth organizations, intergenerational programs, and park services — may not have occurred to you, but could be the perfect fit.
• Don't wait to be asked. There are many ways to find organizations that are looking for volunteers. Ask your friends or colleagues about their own volunteering activities. The Internet has great online volunteer referral services, including www.volunteer.gov.