Discussion is first step toward charitable work

ASSOCIATED PRESS
A family discussion about volunteer work, and specifically what sort of projects would complement everyone's interests, is a good start toward actually doing volunteer work. The next step is finding the organizations that need or help coordinate volunteers.
Jenny Friedman, author of "The Busy Family's Guide to Volunteering: Do Good, Have Fun, Make a Difference as a Family" (Robins Lane Press), says most communities have a local volunteer center that can match people and projects.
More people seem to be interested in volunteering in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and the other winter holidays, probably because doing good and appreciating what you've got are on the forefront of our minds, says Friedman.
In practice, though, there are fewer volunteer opportunities during this time of year.
"Thanksgiving might not be the best day because so many people want to serve and there are a limited number of soup kitchens," she says.
But Friedman certainly doesn't want to discourage would-be volunteers: Instead, she suggests choosing an activity now and picking a specific date, maybe right after the new year, to start.