Washington County Weekend Post

4A • WASHINGTON COUNTY POST • SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 GMTODAY.COM It's time for the West Bend Park & Rec activities to be announced! The Fall booklet will feature all of the scheduled activities that the West Bend Park, Recreation and Forestry Department will offer for Fall 2021. Get your copy in the Daily News on August 6 and the Washington County Post on August 8. The booklet is also available at the West Bend Parks & Recreation Department, West Bend Library and West Bend Chamber of Commerce. YOUR GUIDE TO The efforts of volunteers often go unnoticed, but the thoughtful men, women and children who give up their free time to support worthy causes do a lot to bolster their communities. Volunteering also pays dividends for the volunteers, and not just because they're helping to strengthen the communities they call home. According to the Mayo Clin- ic, research has shown that volunteering can lower rates of depression and promote better physical health com- pared to not volunteering. In addition, an analysis of data from the Longitudinal Study of Aging found that individ- uals who volunteer have lower mortality rates than those who do not. With so many benefits to volunteering, it's no wonder that families often seek ways to volunteer together. Such efforts can be a great way to spend time together and give back to a community, all the while affording families a chance to reap the many rewards of volunteering. The following are a handful of potential volunteering opportunities that families can consider. Litter cleanups The National Park Ser- vice estimates that plastics account for up to 90 percent of the trash floating in the ocean and littering shores. Many national and local organizations aim to combat plastic pollution via beach cleanups, and these efforts welcome volunteers of all ages, making them ideal ways for families to give back together. But litter is not just a problem for oceanfront com- munities. The organization Keep America Beautiful notes that 66 million pounds of litter and recyclables were collected in 2019. KAB hosts various litter cleanup pro- grams in towns and cities across the country and encourages families to join their movement. Combat homelessness According to the 2019 "The State of Homelessness in America" report from The Council of Economic Advis- ers, in January 2018, more than a half a million people were counted as homeless in the United States. Statistics in Canada are not as recent as those in the United States, but estimates suggest as many as 235,000 Canadians are homeless in any given year. Volunteering at a near- by homeless shelter is a great way for families to help this often underserved seg- ment of the population. Con- tact a local homeless shelter to learn about specific volun- teering opportunities, which may involve preparing and serving meals; tutoring homeless men, women and children; and involvement in other services shelters offer. Clothing drives Clothing drives not only benefit the homeless, but they also help people who simply don't have the means to purchase new clothing. Families can donate their own slightly used clothing to nearby goodwill organiza- tions and organize clothing drives through their schools and places of employment. Encourage neighbors to fol- low suit and donate their own slightly used items. Volunteering together is a great way for families to give back to their communi- ties. How families can volunteer together

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