It was a Friday morning, and the weekend was fast approaching. Tim Flack was looking for volunteer opportunities where he and his 6-year-old daughter, Susanna, could volunteer together. He found the perfect listing on Volunteer Odyssey’s Calendar of Volunteer Opportunities. The event was Tile Making Day hosted by Carpenter Art Garden.

Tim was excited to find an opportunity to give back that he can include his daughter in because, “Volunteer opportunities like this help us to instill our values of helping others and of being of service in the community along with introducing our kids to the realities of life that many people in our community face each day.” This outing for Tim and Susanna was very different from their usual weekend trip to the zoo, park, or pool because it allowed them to spend time together while also helping others in their city.

By volunteering at places such as the Carpenter Art Garden, Tim says they hope “that they [our children] will grow up to be people who make a difference and who make an impact for good in the world.”

Tim and his daughter greatly enjoyed interacting with the children of the Binghampton area in helping them to build their new mosaic sculpture garden, yet Tim understands most people’s hesitations towards volunteering. Before Tim became a regular volunteer at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, he too was hesitant to make a commitment to volunteer. He explains, “It seemed like I was always reading about someone who was recognized for volunteering for some unbelievable number of hours, and I figured there was no way I had time to take on something like that!”

What Tim came to realize, however, is that there are so many organizations in Memphis that need help even if you only have a few hours to give.  Volunteer Odyssey takes into account your schedule, interests, and abilities in order to connect you with your perfect volunteer opportunity. You can have a huge impact with just a few hours, and as Susanna learned, you can have fun at the same time.

Here’s some 6-year old wisdom: Susanna said to her dad,“Daddy, I wasn’t volunteering. I was just having a lot of fun!” The secret’s out: you can volunteer and have fun at the same time.  Tim and Susanna’s experience shows making a difference in the community can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience because as Tim puts it, “ I can honestly say that there are few things that I have done in my life that have been as rewarding as the time I have spent as a volunteer.”

So what are you waiting for? If you want to become a volunteer at Carpenter Art Garden like Tim and Susanna, take a 90 second tour of the organization.

If you’re looking for something to fit your schedule, check out Volunteer Odyssey’s Calendar of Volunteer Opportunities. Start today!