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34 to 40 points: Working Girl
Hard work and productivity keep you motivated. You're ready to get your hands dirty to help solve serious problems. These jobs could work for you:
- Habitat builder
- Disaster action team member
- Food drive worker

Your job: Laborer, home construction site. Depending on your age you might: install insulation, paint, landscape, do framing, install drywall and install cabinets.
Charity: Habitat for Humanity
A nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry. Habitat invites people from all faiths to work together to build houses with families in need. Habitat has built about 70,000 houses around the world. That’s safe, decent, affordable shelter for more than 300,000 people.
On a mission to: Eliminate substandard housing and homelessness worldwide.
Contact: Check out http://www.habitat.org/, the Habitat Web site or call 1-800-HABITAT to get more info or to find a local affiliate. You could also look them up in the Business White Pages.
Time commitment required: Averages 10 hours a month.
Age of volunteers: Little kids to retirees.

Peer contact:		 Added bonus: there’s generally a good mix of guys and dolls your age.

Dealing with strangers:		 Lots, unless you are volunteering as part of a youth group with which you’re familiar.

Taking orders from the boss:		 Direct supervision is required by law—doubtful you know how to lay vinyl floors off the top of your head! DUH!

Why it rocks:		 Imagine the camaraderie! And you might get a workout.
International notes: Habitat has more than 250 international affiliates coordinating some 800 building projects in 59 countries around the world.
Other contacts for this type of work: If there’s no Habitat group in your area, the following resources can help you find ways to assist the needy with housing issues:
- Local soup kitchens and churches
- Check http://www.redcross.org/index.shtml, the Red Cross national Web site, or call 1-800-HELPNOW.
- Contact the United Way (call 1-800-411-UWAY (8929) or check out http://www.unitedway.org/, the United Way’s Web site.
- Check http://www.salvationarmy.org/reachus.htm, the Salvation Army’s international Web site for help locating an affiliate near you.

 

Your job: Disaster Action Team (DAT) Member. After receiving training, you would be called, on an as-needed basis, to help in emergencies. For example, you might use your language skills to translate for victims in shelters, serve food to displaced families, help people locate their loved ones after a disaster hits, or bring food to workers at a disaster scene.
Charity: The Red Cross, a humanitarian organization helping more than 30 million people each year.
On a mission to:
Help people prevent, prepare for and cope with emergencies.
Contact: Find out more and pinpoint your local chapter through http://www.redcross.org/index.shtml, the Red Cross national Web site. You can also call 1-800-HELPNOW, or look up the Red Cross in the Business White Pages.
Time commitment required: Training and drills will take up about a Saturday or evening once a month. Once you are trained, during an emergency you might work a few hours, several evenings, or an entire weekend or more, depending on the situation. You ought to be flexible.
Age of volunteers: There are adult DAT groups and youth DAT groups. In some areas age restrictions for DAT groups apply.

Peer contact:
There could be lots of people like you involved, particularly in training groups.

Dealing with strangers:		 Very high. You’ll work with strangers and help lots of strangers, hands-on.

Taking orders from the boss:		 Definitely, but not necessarily on-site.

Why it rocks:		 One of our readers is involved in a similar program, helping landslide victims. She writes: “I chose to do it because…I wanted to give something back to the community. I like meeting new people, and having them give me their full appreciation!”
International notes: The Red Cross is active worldwide.
Other contacts for this type of work: The Salvation Army: Look them up in your Business White pages, or for help, phone them (headquarters are in the UK) at +44 171 332 0101 or try http://www.salvationarmy.org/reachus.htm, the Salvation Army Web site this page offers a location service to help you find an affiliate near you.

 

Your job: Food drive worker. You’ll help to gather, organize and distribute food to people who really need it.
Charity:
Various. Frequently church groups, grocery stores, scouting organizations, clubs, senior centers, etc.
On a mission to: Feed the hungry by supplying mainly non-perishable food items.
Contact: Try:
- The Salvation Army: Look them up in your Business White pages, or for help, phone them (headquarters are in the UK) at +44 171 332 0101. You can try http://www.salvationarmy.org/reachus.htm, the Salvation Army’s Web site, as well.
- Looking up “soup kitchens” and “food banks” in your Yellow Pages.
- Checking the Internet. For example, you’ll find the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank, which serves as a clearinghouse for collecting, storing and distributing food throughout 12 Louisiana parishes.
- Calling area churches or grocery chains for help finding a convenient group you can join. Many of these groups have fund-raisers and food-drives throughout the year that could really use your help!
Time commitment required: Variable. You could work a lot or a little. Sometimes a drive will require several weekends and many evenings. You could do it once a year or periodically throughout the year.
Age of volunteers: Unlimited. Moms might bring their little kids. You could bring all your friends. So could retirees.

Peer contact:
Could be very high. You’re likely to make friends as you work together getting the food organized.

Dealing with strangers:		 If you distribute food, you’ll give it to strangers. You’re likely to work with other volunteers and possibly administrators that you don’t know.

Taking orders from the boss:		 Unless you’ve organized the drive, somebody will be assigning duties. But other than that, the environment is laid back and can be really fun.
Why it rocks:
A reader is trying to convince the teachers at her school to make donations of canned perishables a monthly thing, rather than just for Christmas. She says, “I do it because it’s how it should be.”