We were planning on taking a trip to Disney on Brian’s birthday to take advantage of their free admission on your birthday program, but the program comes to a close at the end of the month. I was able to find a new program on their site, Give a Day Get a Day. Beginning January 1, 2010, when you sign up to volunteer a day of service with a participating organization (and your service is completed and verified) you’ll get one day admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park, FREE! They are trying to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service. Although it was too soon to sign up for service, I signed up to receive reminders and updates about the program.

Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change lives, including your own. You may not necessarily have the time, but have the heart…so make the time! Check out these other resources for volunteering:

• Your local CASA program offers a volunteer opportunity like no other. As officers of the court, CASA volunteers, also known in some areas as volunteer guardians ad litem (GALs), are empowered to make a lifelong difference in the lives of abused and neglected children.
• DoSomething.org has a large database of volunteer opportunities nationwide. Just enter your zip code to find tons volunteer opportunities near you!
• Idealist.org is a project of Action Without Borders, a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas and locate opportunities and supporters.
• VolunteerMatch.org strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement.