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Employment: Volunteering

Not seeking paid employment?
Once you have become more accustomed to Washington, and the lure of the shops has definitely worn off, you might like to think about a wonderful
way of meeting new people or acquiring new skills in this most diverse city.

You could become a docent at the Smithsonian or the National Cathedral - do some recording  for the blind or sit with an elderly patient.

Volunteering

The wonderful thing about volunteering here in Washington is the flexibility with which people accept help. You don’t have to commit to days on end – a few hours a week or a month will be more than appreciated and the volunteer effort is so well co-ordinated that there will always be someone to cover if you have to cancel.
Volunteer work can enhance your CV – some corporations even eliminate candidates for executive positions who do not show evidence of community involvement on their resumes.
Volunteering provides a useful way to test a career field, explore new avenues, get documented work experience, make contacts and “get your foot in the door”. Some volunteers may find they hear about paid job openings before they are advertised.
Plan what you want to get out of the experience before taking up any volunteer work (e.g. skill development, work experience or pursuit of an interest). Doing good while gaining skills and experience is a winning combination. Sometimes a volunteer job can be turned into a paid position. 

Volunteering for the national or local professional association in your field of interest is a good way to make contacts – such as at a conference.

Resources for Volunteers

News Papers

The Washington Post and various suburban newspapers periodically list volunteer opportunities.
- The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com and   www.careerpath.com  has hyperlinks to most major US newspapers

Volunteer Offices

Alexandria Volunteer Bureau 
Tel: 703 836 2176
Greater DC Cares,
Tel: 202 289 7378
Arlington
Volunteer Office

Tel: 703 228 3222

Montgomery County 
Volunteer Centre

Tel: 301 217 4949
Fairfax  County Volunteer
Center

Tel: 703 246 3460

Local Charities and Non profits

Information and Reception Center (VIARC) Smithsonian Institution

Visitor S1 Building, Room 153,
MRC 010, Washington DC 20560.
Tel: 202 357 – 2700.

Recording for the Blind and
Dyslexic of Metropolitan Washington

5225 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 312,
Washington DC 20015.
 Tel: 202 244 8990. www.rfbd.org



 

Literacy Volunteers: Sponsors nationwide programme that trains tutors to teach adults to read.

1325 W Street NW, Washington DC. Tel: 202
387 1772.

The Washington Home and Hospice of Washington

3720 Upton Street NW, Washington DC 20016.
Tel: 202 895 0174. www.thewashingtonhome.org.
If you can listen, share a story, tell a joke, play bingo, push a wheelchair, serve a meal – they want you.

The Baptist Home for Children and Families

 6301 Greentree Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20817.
Tel: 301 365 4480. www.bhcf-cares.org

Washington National Cathedral:

Wisconsin/Massachusetts Avenue,Washington
DC 20016.
 Tel: 202 537 6200. www.cathedral.org


 

Local study opportunities

The Family Liaison Office at the US Department of State provides an enormous amount of information on their website. Start here to find local opportunities for study.



 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
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