The CragBaby

I strive to volunteer on a weekly basis but am looking for some new volunteer opportunities. The places with which I currently affiliate my time include:

ARUP - I like to donate platelets on a bi-weekly basis, albeit I feel well. This is my favorite volunteer service because by sitting and watching a movie, I can directly impact a life. I choose to donate through ARUP because all donations are used at the local hospitals and very rarely do they receive enough donations to fulfill demand.

Climbing - During the summer I like to donate a climbing day a week to taking out climbing newbies. I do this because I used to be one of those newbies who couldn’t find a partner. And it sucks. By taking them out I can still have a beautiful day in the outdoors, teach proper safety techniques (keeping the climbing community safe) and allow someone else to enjoy the sport I love.

KCPW - I volunteer often during the KCPW pledge drives. KCPW is Salt Lake’s independent national public radio station (that barely escaped from being turned into a Christin station. Thank you again KCPW board members). I really love the programming, the KCPW crew and the point that they brought the BBC to its own frequency so that listeners could have BBC news 24/7. This volunteer opportunity is only on a semi-annual basis.

Ten Thousand Villages - I used to volunteer weekly with Ten Thousand Villages but have now put this on the back burner. I still really like the organization, but didn’t feel completely needed when I was there. I felt as if I didn’t show, the job would still get done… so why not spend my time elsewhere?

I have also looked into working with the Literacy Center of Utah, but have not started on with them as I just think the time commitment is too much for me to take on right now. I have also looked into NAMI (the National Alliance of Mental Illness). I was so jazzed when I found NAMI because I feel like mental illness is a prevalent disease that many people do not understand and I was hoping I could help with social awareness. I was so psyched for their cause I offered a year of my time, but they just didn’t know what to do with me. Thought their cause is good, at the time that I talked with them they seemed to still figure out how to operate, so I stepped away.

I would love to hear where you readers affiliate your volunteer time and why. I am looking for something that I love as much as platelet donation. Some form of service that is really needed and appreciated.

I just noticed that Utahblood.org has a new website and it is REAL cool!

• They have added a new logo which is a fantastic representation of who they are and what they do
• On the homepage they list the current needs for whole blood and platelets, plus the current blood drives
• There is now a Weekly Patient List link page that breaks down what type of blood and how many units are used weekly
• They have started a punch card where you get a punch every time you donate, that can be turned in for schwag with their logo. Plus they have giveaways to incentivize people to come in and donate
• They have a Blood Blog that will let donors know who they are helping, while still protecting the privacy of the patient.

What a fantastic site! Check it out!

I strive to volunteer once per week and lately have been searching for new volunteer opportunities that are more serious in nature and have stronger impacts. My latest find, which I have blogged about a little in the past, is donating platelets at ARUP. I really like this opportunity because the ARUP donations are used locally and current demand in certain blood types, one of which is mine, outweighs supply.

So far I have only been able to donate platelets once because in order to give one has to be perfectly healthy, and lately I seem to continually have a cold. However, I have an appointment again next week and am stoking up on the vitamin C in preparation.

Platelet donation is an odd volunteer experience in comparison to what I usually do because for an hour and a half there is a needle in my arm and I do experience some side effects during the process (being chilled from the blood re-entering at a cooler degree in comparison to the body and having my lips tingle from what I believe they said was a loss of calcium). But just knowing that a local person is using my platelets to continue living is an awesome feeling. Plus, what other volunteer experience requires you to sit, eat snacks and watch a movie. =)