By Royane Real

Author of “Your Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends and Keeping Friends  

One of the best ways to meet new people and make new friends is to become a volunteer in your community.  Volunteer work can put you in touch with a lot of new and interesting people, and it can be a great way to meet new friends.

I used to work as a volunteer coordinator for several years, and I saw how much a volunteer job could change a person's life for the better.  I saw many volunteers gain new skills, new confidence, and new friends.

Not every volunteer job is right for every person.  How do you go about choosing a volunteer job that is right for you?

First, you should examine your real reasons for volunteering.  What are the most important things you want to get out of your volunteer experience?  Be honest with yourself.

If your main reason for volunteering is because you need to get some experience in a field where you want to work, you will probably make very different choices than if your main reason for volunteering is because you want to make new friends.

If meeting new people and having lots of social contact is a priority for you, then make sure the volunteer position you apply for has the possibility of interacting with new people built into it. 

For example, if you are volunteering to work at a museum, you will meet more people if you volunteer to work in the gift shop.  And you will meet fewer people if you volunteer to catalogue dusty artifacts in a basement storage room. 

If you want to meet new people and make new friendships, make sure the job you are volunteering for involves lots of talking and interaction with other people.

You will be more likely to develop relationships with new people if you work on a project together, such as preparing for a fundraising banquet.  The frequent interactions  and common shared goals will give you more chances to bond as friends.

You can get more clear about what you want if you write down your reasons for volunteering. Be honest with yourself about what you want to achieve. 

And keep your interests in mind.  What are your likes and your dislikes?

Do you like art?  Sports?   Business?  What gets you really excited?  What would you like to learn how to do better?

Do you want to be in charge of a project?  Or would you rather take orders?

Do you want to be a part of a team?

How much time do you want to spend on your volunteer work? 

These are all questions you should think about when you decide to be a volunteer.

If you live in a big city; your opportunities for volunteering may be quite different than the opportunities opportunities available in a small town. 

Large cities are more likely to have many structured volunteer programs and central volunteer recruiting organizations.  In some cases, a volunteer position in a job area you love can eventually lead to a full time paid position as you become more experienced and visible to the other people working in this field.

But small towns can have many volunteer opportunities too.  In a smaller community, you may be able to easily set up a new organization to deal with a need you have identified. 

No matter what community you live in, there are many jobs that need to be done – there are always many more jobs than people available.

For example, you may want to organize a group to help feed hungry children in your community, or help underprivileged children play sports.

By doing such a volunteer position, not only will you fill a need in your community, you will be learning new skills, and you will be making new contacts.  It’s a great way to break the ice, and develop relationships with other people.

The right kind of volunteer job can be an amazing experience.  You can learn new skills, and meet new people.  Volunteering can often lead to new friendships and relationships.

This article was written by author Royane Real.

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Learn to Be Popular - even if You're Shy and Lonely!

By Royane Real

Do you ever with you had a better social life?  Are you tired of being lonely?  Perhaps you suffer from shyness and you wish you could learn how to be outgoing and popular.

My popular book “Your Guide to Finding Friends, Making Friends and Keeping Friends”  will teach you everything you need to know about how to make friends.  Where to find them.  How to start up conversations with people you don't know very well.  How to get over your shyness.

You'll learn how to keep a conversation going.  You'll find out what to do to keep a friendship strong and make it last.  

Isn't it time to stop being on the outside looking in?  Now is the time and here is your opportunity to change your life from one of being lonely to one of being popular. 

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Make Yourself Unforgettable

Become the kind of person EVERYONE remembers and NO ONE can resist!

By Dale Carnegie Training

You’ll find that people in every area of your life — from work to home and everywhere in between — respond to you more positively and generously than they ever have before! 

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