How to Volunteer From Home

From research projects to pen pal programs, there are so many ways to help those in need from home

‘House from Momoyogusa–Flowers of a Hundred Generations’ (1909) by Kamisaka Sekka via New York Public Library/Rawpixel/CC0

In a time of crisis, the urge to do something and to help someone is incredibly strong, but being stuck at home complicates that feeling. It’s easy to feel helpless because the typical ways to connect with your friends, help your neighbors, and volunteer to support your local community are no longer available. Luckily, there are many creative ways to volunteer your time and support important organizations and projects, right from your home.

Here are just a few organizations that you can volunteer with and connect with other people, find meaning in your day, or discover something new:

1. The United Nations has a database of online volunteer opportunities in areas including design, research, translation, and outreach.
2. Become a pen pal with an incarcerated person through Sex Workers Outreach Project Behind Bars, a sex worker advocacy organization, or Black & Pink, which has a nationwide pen pal program for incarcerated LGBTQ individuals.
3. Volunteers can review and transcribe historical documents with the Smithsonian.
4. The Humane Society of the United States has phone bank volunteer opportunities on the national and…