Try It. "I would actively encourage anyone who doesn’t currently volunteer to do so," says Special Olympics volunteer Susan Hughes-Payne. "It’s truly a life-changing experience." See how the gift of your time changes lives.
Around the world, there is a growing hunger for civic engagement and belonging. It's about transforming lives, including your own. It’s about a spirit of giving and teamwork. It's about making your community and neighborhood a more welcoming and accepting place.
And it’s about creating lifelong friendships and a new way of thinking about others. Those are rewards of immeasurable value.
Finding the Right Niche
Special Olympics salutes all of its committed volunteers, including Great Britain volunteer Susan Hughes-Payne. “I wanted to volunteer in my community, but I couldn’t find the right opportunity. Special Olympics offered me the chance to use the same skills I use on my job. It was the perfect fit for me to get involved and show my support. I feel like a member of the team and love the atmosphere and vibe.”
Payne accompanied the Special Olympics Great Britain ski team during the 2009 World Winter Games in Idaho. “What impresses me the most about the athletes is their enthusiasm, spirit and camaraderie. Nothing is impossible, and they’re passionate about what they do. Sometimes it’s too easy to be negative in life, but their attitude has rubbed off on me and given me a far more positive outlook on things. I would actively encourage anyone who doesn’t currently volunteer to do so; it’s truly a life-changing experience. Not only that, it’s pushed me to live outside my comfort zone which has helped enormously with my personal development. I had to overcome my fear of a number of things I wouldn’t have done otherwise―like flying on an airplane and, more importantly, skiing!”
Thousands of people gave a few hours or a few days to help at the 2009 World Winter Games. View a volunteering slideshow to learn more about Special Olympics changes lives.
Be Part of the Family
Around the world, millions of people volunteer, taking pride in knowing they’re providing athletes with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to experience the excitement, joy and personal fulfillment associated with sport training and competition. From the local coach who works with athletes every day, to the international organization holding World Games every two years, dedicated volunteers make Special Olympics happen. There is always something to do, with training, competitions and other events happening 365 days a year.
The Next Generation of Volunteers
By many accounts, interest and participation in public service, volunteerism and social entrepreneurship among young people, from middle-schoolers to college students, have risen dramatically over the last decade.
Today's teenagers and young adults, thanks to encouragement from their parents, an Internet revolution that makes the world feel smaller every day, and a growing number of service organizations in high schools, such as Special Olympics Project Unify, and on college campuses, such as SO College, are far more likely than their predecessors to seek out ways to give back and to shape the world they will inherit. A survey by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute found that two-thirds of students entering college in 2006 felt that helping others in need was essential or very important, the highest rate in 26 years.
For Special Olympics, this community service ethic is evident not only in the United States but around the world. On 31 March 2009, students from Florida to Malawi to South Africa spearheaded more than 700 events inspired to get people to sign a pledge to stop using the word “retard" as part of Special Olympics’ “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign. With online and face-to-face opportunities to get involved, more and more young people are connecting with Special Olympics.
A Community of Volunteers on the Internet
Just recently in Brunei Darussalam, bloggers were instrumental in creating awareness and raising funds for their country’s Special Olympics program. Not only are they raising funds to sustain regular training and competition, they raised more than $10,000 to support athletes who will attend the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece. The Internet is helping to increase the number of "change-makers" for people with intellectual disabilities in communities around the world.
What You Can Do
Volunteering with Special Olympics creates change that carries forth from our Programs and into the world. Whether you’re an individual or a member of a school, church, work, civic or other group; whether you can volunteer for just a few hours on a single day as a scorekeeper, or several hours a week, year-round, as a special events coordinator; there are volunteer opportunities for you.
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| | Volunteer Opportunities | |
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| | - Get in touch with Special Olympics near you to see what you can do to help.
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| | - If you're a college student, check out SO College to get active at your school.
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| | - Get in the game by joining Special Olympics Unified Sports®, where people with and without intellectual disabilities train and compete together on the same team.
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