Sometimes, the biggest challenge of volunteering or finding volunteers is knowing where to start. The Picayune and 101HighlandLakes.com want to help volunteers looking for a cause and organizations looking for volunteers take that first step.

You can find the Highland Lakes Volunteer Guide at 101HighlandLakes.com/VOLUNTEER or by looking under the Guides tab at the top of the page.

The idea is simple: a place online to which people interested in volunteering can turn to find the different opportunities available to them. They can get a feel for which organization fits them and be able to contact organizations from the guide.

Once you navigate to the Highland Lakes Volunteer Guide page, you’ll find a number of organizational headings such as “Food Pantries and Kitchens,” “Animals,” “Arts and Culture,” “Children and Families,” “Education and Job Training,” and “Veterans.” Click on an area that interests you, and it will bring up several nonprofits in that category.

Or, you can scroll through the complete list of nonprofits in the feed below the headings.

When you click on a nonprofit, you’ll learn a little about what the organizations does, what it needs, and how to get in contact with it.

On the right side of the page is a calendar of upcoming volunteer events.

While the guide is a great resource for people looking for volunteers, it’s also for nonprofits wanting to connect with potential volunteers.

Having your organization or a volunteer event listed in the Highland Lakes Volunteer Guide only takes a few minutes. Click on “Submit a Volunteer Opportunity” or “Submit an Organization” and fill in your information.

If you’re submitting information about your organization, fill out the form under “Submit an Organization” and send any photos or logos to Jared Fields at jared@thepicayune.com.

That’s all it takes to get started.

For nonprofits, it’s a good idea to submit both your organization as well as upcoming volunteer opportunities. Some people might only want to help for a specific event or two, while others might want to become regular volunteers.

So, go to 101HighlandLakes.com/VOLUNTEER and discover how you can make a difference.

editor@thepicayune.com

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