We all know that doing good deeds makes us feel like better human beings, by giving our time, effort, and money to a noble cause and seeing how our actions help others. After all, we’re social animals, as Socrates put it. We need each other in order to survive. Helping one another feels natural and right.
With that said, as busy working professionals, we sometimes get caught up in the hustle of our daily tasks. Rushing in traffic to get to work, finding time to go to the gym, trying to cook a healthy meal – all of these everyday activities make up most of our time. We often forget about the rest of the world or its problems. We get stuck in our own movie, where we’re the main characters, focusing only on the things that directly affect us.
It’s good to remind yourself how privileged you are and how many of life’s comforts you get to enjoy every once in a while. The best way to do that is by volunteering for a non-profit organization that allows you to help others who have not had the same fortunes that you’ve had. Volunteering is a great and humbling experience that makes you feel good and gives you a new outlook on your own life and on how fortunate you are.
That being said, not all-volunteer organizations are made equal, and unfortunately, some use the good in people to make profits or with malicious intent. That’s why in this article, we will turn our attention to some of the best non-profit volunteer organizations in Brevard County, Florida, that you might want to join. Along with that, we will talk more about the benefits of volunteering and why you should consider doing it more frequently.
Now without wasting any more time, let’s get started.
Eight Great Non-Profit Volunteer Opportunities in Brevard County, FL
In this article, we won’t be focusing on nationwide volunteer campaigns that also exist in Brevard County but instead will dive deep into some of the local options you have. That’s because we believe in the power of helping your local community, in real life, instead of donating money online (even though that’s also something admirable). Along with that, such activities will help you and even your company build ties with the local community.
Promise in Brevard
Promise in Brevard is a non-profit organization that was started in 2009. Its mission is to provide housing opportunities for young adults who have special needs, so that they can live, work and thrive in their community.
The idea and vision behind Promise were brought to life by the co-founders of Promise in Brevard, Betsy Farmer, and Luke, her son, who has Down syndrome. When Luke was born, Betsy quickly found that there were limited resources and support for children with special needs in the Space Coast area, so she established her own Space Coast Early Intervention Center. This was a preschool for special needs kids who could learn together and help one another. Due to Luke’s success at the school, he became the first special needs child in Brevard County to enroll in the public school system. From there, Betsy established another non-profit called Brevard Business Leadership Network, which had a mission to bridge the gap between local businesses and high school graduates with special needs in an effort to help them find a job and gain vital skills. Soon after, Betsy and Luke got the idea for Promise, and this is where they’re at right now. For 12 years, their family has worked hard to help the community, particularly children and young adults with special needs, and they have proven themselves to be a team that deserves support.
Love INC of Brevard
Love INC of Brevard is a faith-based non-profit organization that works in partnership with over 49 other churches in the Brevard County area and with over 30 businesses and agencies. Their main goal is to help people who are facing financial issues. The Brevard affiliate was established 15 years ago and is one of the many affiliates across the United States and Kenya.
The vision of Love INC is to help Christian churches in every town around the world unite and establish partnerships with businesses in their area in an effort to help struggling members of their own community. From there, it’s the churches’ mission to mobilize their efforts and run volunteer campaigns according to the needs of their struggling communities. In some parts of the world, that might entail providing food and water, while in others, it might be paying for college or securing housing.
Codecraft Foundation
The Codecraft Foundation was founded in 2014 as a non-profit organization with the primary goal of providing financial aid to students in need and helping change the course of their lives. Its mission is to give an opportunity to students who are typically not well-represented in technology fields such as STEM and mainly computer science, cyber security, and software engineering. They do so by giving them learning experiences, leadership opportunities, and mentorship so that they can envision themselves working in the field and having a career in STEM.
If you work in a tech company or you’re passionate about STEM-related subjects, partnering with Codecraft might just be the volunteering opportunity you’ve been looking for.
Neighbor Up Brevard
The organization was established in 2001 as the Brevard Neighborhood Development Coalition (BNDC). It was founded by a diverse group of people, all members of the Brevard County church businesses and civic organizations. They all shared one main goal: to help revitalize impoverished communities.
Nowadays, the Neighbor Up Brevard organization is continuing its efforts and is looking for opportunities to partner with neighborhood leaders in an effort to help transform struggling communities with their many programs. One of them is The DOCK (Dorcas Outreach Center for Kids). The groups come together to learn and help one another. The staff and volunteers at the center put particular emphasis on the importance of academic achievement and healthy life choices. They encourage low-income youth to imagine a brighter future. Along with that, this NPO (non-profit organization) has three more programs, all aiming to help struggling families.
Family Promise of Brevard
Family Promise of Brevard was created with one goal in mind: to end homelessness in Brevard County. The organization helps local communities address the root cause of their families’ homelessness, and they do so holistically. First, they provide prevention services to help families avoid the crisis, then shelter and case management in cases where families are genuinely left homeless. However, the process doesn’t end there – once a family finds housing, Family Promise of Brevard offers stabilization programs that aim to help households remain independent.
To do this work, Family Promise of Brevard collaborates with loads of community-driven organizations and strives to use existing resources as much as possible. They also partner with different companies and agencies, along with volunteer groups.
Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County, Inc.
Habitat for Humanity of Brevard County, INC is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian ministry that is dedicated to eliminating below-par housing by building safe and affordable homes for low-income, working individuals and families who cannot afford a conventional mortgage.
Over the last 35 years, Brevard Habitat has helped more than 475 families, all thanks to the work of volunteers and donors. They run multiple programs not only in all 50 states but also in around 70 countries worldwide.
New Life Mission
This organization used to be called Brevard Rescue Mission, and it’s a Christian, non-profit organization that aims to help homeless moms transform their families for the better. They do so by providing education, teaching accountability and goal advancement, and giving aid in times of need.
Ever since it was founded in 2008, the organization has invested in building campuses that house homeless families. Currently, New Life Mission has three functioning campuses and one that’s in the process of getting made, and that’s all thanks to help from donors, volunteers, and the local community.
Their vision for the future is to be able to help 100 families, and if you feel inspired by their goal, then you can sign up for volunteer work or donate directly.
Aging Matters in Brevard
Aging Matters in Brevard is a private, non-profit organization that aims to provide service to the aging citizens of Brevard County by supporting independence, safety, health, and a good quality of life.
The organization does all of that, thanks to a large variety of different programs, including
- Home delivered meals
- Group dining
- Caregiver resource center
- Catering with a conscience
- Senior TranServe and Vets Driving Vets
- Senior Home Care Services
- Senior Assistance Program
They’re able to provide all those services thanks to a large group of volunteers and their many local partners. Their main goal is to make senior citizens’ lives easier and more dignified by giving them access to services that would typically either cost too much or just don’t exist at all.
Why You Need to Consider Volunteering
It is strange to talk about volunteering and its benefits for you in the same sentence, as the whole idea behind volunteering is to help others and not yourself. However, the reality is that doing good deeds is actually also good for you and may help you in a variety of ways, especially if you find yourself feeling isolated, unmotivated, and even depressed.
It Helps Create New Friendships
Volunteering helps you connect with people you might have otherwise never met from your local community. Along with that, doing an activity together where you depend on each other is the best way to start a relationship and then strengthen it. If you’re new to your area or you’re a bit more socially awkward, volunteering is one of the best ways to meet new people and create friendships. It’s also a great excuse to get out of the house and do something, especially if you’re feeling lonely.
It Provokes Positive Emotions
It might be a cliché, but doing good does make you feel good. Regardless of whether you’re sad, stressed, anxious, or even angry, getting together with a group of people and working towards helping someone else will have a profoundly beneficial effect on your overall psychological well-being.
Communicating with people while also doing physical work will improve your mood, reduce the amount of stress you feel, and protect you against depression. Furthermore, by volunteering, you get a self-confidence boost, giving you a sense of accomplishment and pride.
It Teaches You Valuable Skills
Just because you’re not getting paid doesn’t mean that you won’t learn anything or that skills aren’t required for the job you’re doing. Many volunteer opportunities come with extensive training beforehand, and so they’re able to help you learn new things and advance your skills.
Furthermore, if you already have some basic skills, you can advance them by volunteering in an organization where that knowledge is needed. For example, if you’re already good at sales, you can use your expertise and become a volunteer advocate, thus further popularizing non-profit work while also developing your public speaking and marketing skills.
In Conclusion
If you’re in the Brevard County area, hopefully, this article inspired you to go and help out some of these non-profit organizations. Remember, volunteering is not only great for the community. It’s also good for you. By having such experiences, you will meet new people, build a larger network, learn new skills and relieve some of the stress and burden of daily life. Along with that, it will help you appreciate your life a bit more so that you don’t feel as down as often.