Sunday, March 02, 2008
Life, Style
The altruistic Atlantan
The Sunday Paper uncovers some delicious and enjoyable one-time volunteer events...
CREDIT:Fred Sweet
Cleaning out your closet can help fill someone else’s.
GET INVOLVED
Dress for Success—Atlanta
220 Spring St. NW Suite 102
404-589-1177
www.dressforsuccess.org
Threads
634 West Peachtree St.
404-267-4317
threads@allsaintsatlanta.org
Café 458
458 Edgewood Ave.
www.samhouse.org/cafe458
404-525-3276
Hands on Atlanta
www.handsonatlanta.org
By Shannon Alderman
In this day and age of multitasking, one can simultaneously exercise and listen to an iPod e-book, drink breakfast on the morning commute and even score a date via text in the boardroom. Why shouldn’t volunteering function in the same manner fusing philanthropy with fun? Sure, it can be a time-commitment turnoff, especially when the word “busy” has become a near expletive, and free time is practically dinosaur nonexistent. The Sunday Paper uncovers some delicious and enjoyable one-time volunteer events that are incredibly fun with a side order of good sprinkled on top.
CARING COUTURE
Spring has almost sprung, and it’s that time of year for the annual closet purge; however, closet duty doesn’t have to be a drudge. There are plenty of open arms just waiting to adopt that unwanted wooly sweater just itching for some one-on-one time. Clothing donations are accepted at homeless shelters, emergency facilities, thrift stores and religious organizations throughout the city including Dress for Success, a group that provides Atlanta women with professional outfits for job interviews. Dress for Success’ Atlanta branch currently needs accessories like purses, scarves, conservative costume jewelry and new panty hose, as well as personal care items.
For a more hands-on experience, Threads, a program based out of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, needs volunteers to work in the retail shop where parents and kids can shop with dignity and respect just as if they were in a real retail store. Parents shop with vouchers issued by a referring agency, and then a designated volunteer assists the family with selections. Volunteers act as personal shoppers and help with merchandising, creating attractive displays, and sorting and tagging donations. Threads also accepts donations of new and gently used infant, toddler and youth-sized clothes, as well cash donations to buy new items for the store.
PHILANTHROPIC FIDO
Who’d have thought walking your dog could make a stranger happy? Turn that mundane walk into an experience that will make Spot smile, and help brighten the lives of senior residents in the city. For an hour on a Saturday, pet owners can bring their pets to a host of nursing centers including the Veteran's Administration Nursing Home or to the Tucker Nursing Home, and share wags and well wishes with elderly folks in the community. Pet owners only need to bring current vaccination records. Dog walking and other senior-related activities can be found on the Hands on Atlanta Web site.
A HELPING HAND
Hands on Atlanta’s Web site is a great starting point for the do-gooder looking for a fun, flexible volunteer opportunity that benefits one of about 400 service organizations and schools in Atlanta. The online guide even customizes searches for opportunities according to your general area of interest, ensuring the volunteer a more meaningful and pleasurable experience. Events include playing soccer with teens, ushering and striking sets at local playhouses like the Horizon Theater, and even attending a free cooking class at Barrington Hall in Roswell and then assisting with cleanup tasks after class is over.
BENEVOLENT BREAKFAST
Even eating brunch can turn into a delicious cause at Café 458, where volunteering here is as appealing as the scrumptious eats. On Saturdays and Sundays between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., rally the troops and head to the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical District for generous helpings of love and an eclectic Southern-style brunch directed by head chef Johnathan Metellus. That’s all there is to it. All the proceeds and tips from the weekend brunch go directly to the Samaritan House of Atlanta’s services that help homeless men and women achieve self-sufficiency.
If you’re hungry for more traditional volunteerism, Café 458 serves a lunchtime meal during the week by reservation only to homeless men and women who have been referred to the restaurant. In contrast to classic soup kitchens, patrons sit down, order from a real menu and are served by the all-volunteer staff. So, grab that hairnet, brush up on some of your restaurant lingo, and put those customer-service muscles to work. Plus, it’s fun yelling orders at your boss: “I want ’em scattered, smothered and covered, stat.” SP