No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks- You’re free! Summer is great time to let loose and shake off all the lingering anxiety of those dreaded tests, assignments and projects. However, the summer can’t only be about sunshine and lollipops. It can also be a time where you explore different sides of yourself because you have the time and space to do so. With this thought in mind, it is always good to embrace your giving, empathetic and more compassionate side. In order to get the most out of your summer, you can break your time down in to 3 categories: Work, play and volunteering. Volunteering can make you feel great, but the best part is that you are helping others. What happens when you help others in need? The world changes a little bit more for the better- and that is a beautiful thing!

If you really want to make a difference in people’s lives this summer, you can. All it takes is a positive attitude and a willingness to give up some of your free time. There are volunteering positions that are full time and require travel and accommodations, but there are always part-time positions available, most likely in your own local area. You need to find and narrow down the right position for you. What subject matter do you feel passionate about? You don’t want to “get stuck” into doing volunteering for a cause you don’t even care about. There are many students/people that do volunteering work only because they think/know they have to, in order to fulfill guidelines for school or otherwise- this is the wrong approach. Exercising your compassionate nature through volunteering can increase your level of happiness, but most importantly, the happiness of the people you are helping.

There are many different types of volunteering positions. They can range from stuffing envelopes for your local community newspaper, to helping out at a retirement home. In helping at a retirement home, you are really impacting the lives of people directly. When you are stuffing envelopes at your local community newspaper, you are more or less taking on a job that some of the staff members couldn’t fit into their schedule- there is a big difference, here. You can choose to do either one of these types of volunteering positions, but to become informed and make a lasting impact, I would choose the retirement home.

Where you are 10 or 18 years of age, you should always exercise that more empathetic side of yourself; volunteering is one way to do it. Whatever you do this summer, be productive. Accomplish things. The carousel never stops turning and either should you.

Listed below are some Volunteer options across Canada and Abroad for summer 2015:

• http://www.cadip.org/volunteer-in-canada.htm

Therapeutic and social programs for elderly people in Vancouver, BC.

• http://www.cadip.org/

Volunteering Abroad

• http://www.gooverseas.com/volunteer-abroad/canada/muskoka-foundation/49863

Volunteer with First Nations Communities in Alberta!

• http://www.gooverseas.com/volunteer-abroad/canada/red-leaf-volunteer-programs/21452

Red Leaf Volunteer Programs in Canada

• http://www.gooverseas.com/volunteer-abroad/canada/fronteering/44876

Care & Rescue for Bears and other Canadian Wildlife

• http://volunteer.ca/volunteer

Your Connection to Canada’s Volunteering Community

• http://www.redcross.ca/volunteer/volunteer-with-us

Red Cross Volunteering

• http://www.canadian-universities.net/Volunteer/Ontario.html

Ontario Volunteering Options and Programs

• http://www.ymca.ca/en/get-involved/volunteer.aspx

YMCA Volunteering- Toronto