There are so many organizations that need people to help out, and these are the non-profit organizations. Since they always need donations to keep their cause up and running, and they can't afford to pay people to do work there, they are always in need of volunteers.

Volunteers make a sacrifice by donating their time, talents and compassion by helping those who need it. Very popular volunteer operations are the animal organizations. People who love animals, such as pets like dogs and cats, can go to the shelters and walk them, feed them, and even do some office work to help out. Actually the volunteer is doing something he likes, and the animal is also enjoying that attention.

Another popular type of volunteer work, is working with children. There are those children who need tutoring to learn how to read, and volunteers love to do this. This type of work gives these kids a chance to make it in the world. There are also volunteers to teach adults how to read. Other jobs with the children, are with the ones who are blind, mentally challenged, or have other mental or physical problems. The volunteers take their time and show care while working with these kids. And, just like the reading, they also can volunteer to help adults with the same problems. It is a very satisfying way to spend their free time, and they get a feeling of accomplishment from it, even though they don't get a paycheck.

Some volunteers will visit patients in hospitals who have the same ailment, such as cancer, that they have survived. The patients get more confidence that they too will get better when listening to the volunteer's own experience with the same disease. Usually the hospital will match up the right volunteer with the right patient who had almost the exact same stage of the cancer or disease. It makes more sense to have more in common with the patient.

Volunteers like to also help the elderly. Whether it be in a nursing home or assisted living, there are some people who don't get visitors and become very lonely. Just sitting with someone and holding their hands will help their outlook very much. Volunteers want to treat people with dignity, and they don't need to get paid to do this. We may all get old some day, and would cherish the same attention that these people give.

Other types of work that volunteers like to do are building fast temporary homes for those who lost theirs' in a tornado, fire, or other natural disaster. They even have volunteers to do lawn work and house painting for those who cannot afford it on their own.

People do voluntary work because it makes them feel good inside, and it makes the people they are helping feel even better.