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Ideas to Inspire Volunteerism on Martin Luther King Day

Ideas to Inspire Volunteerism on Martin Luther King Day
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Monday, January 18th is Martin Luther King Day and many people have the day off from work or school. There is a national push to use this holiday as a day of service. Volunteers across the country will use this day to contribute their time for the greater good and making a difference to people around them. Volunteering your time can be very rewarding and can boost your self esteem. Some may even help you fit exercise into your day. At Dr. Shillingford’s office, we have gathered a few ideas for our lap band, sleeve gastrectomy, and gastric bypass patients to volunteer their time that would be helpful, some may even help benefit you as well.

  • Volunteer at an animal shelter
  • Offer to walk a neighbor’s dog
  • Rake leaves, trim trees, or mow the lawn of an elderly or sick neighbor
  • Grab a trash bag and pick up litter at a local park, on your street, or at the beach
  • Go through your pantry and gather unopened, nonperishable foods to donate to a local shelter
  • Volunteer to deliver food to those unable to leave their homes
  • Visit a retirement home or assisted living facility and volunteer your time reading, playing cards, or talking with residents who may not get many visitors
  • Help clear your favorite hiking trail of overgrowth
  • Go through your closet and take out all the clothes that are now too big for you and donate them to a local shelter
  • Set up an online fitness challenge and invite friends to join you
  • Play basketball, catch, or soccer with a neighbor’s child
  • Help a neighbor, friend, or family member paint a room or fence

These are only some ideas. They may help inspire you to come up with a volunteer opportunity that better suits your abilities or personality. In the end, volunteering can help people, but it can also give us a boost in confidence and self esteem. Volunteering your time in a way that provides you with an opportunity for exercise can be twice as good. Lap band, gastric sleeve, and gastric bypass patients can benefit from exercise as well as helping others and Martin Luther King Day can be a great time to start.

The above is offered by the staff at Dr. Shillingford’s Boca Raton office. Dr. Shillingford, M.D., P.A., is a board certified general surgeon specializing in laparoscopic and obesity surgery. Dr. Shillingford’s lap band, gastric sleeve, and gastric bypass patients come from all over South Florida, including Miami, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, and as far as Orlando and Jacksonville. Combining exercise and volunteering can be a win-win situation for everyone!