have any of you ever used what you know from work to do something good for others?

[vash]

doctors and nurses...seems easy to volunteer time. i have even seen a program for veterinarians to go overseas to spay/neuter animals in 3rd world places.

what about others? i am a licensed civil eng. anyone ever take vacation time to go somewhere exotic to do something worthwhile like building a sewage plant, teach horticulture, business skills, etc?

i dont even hear much about peace corps anymore. just wondering out loud.

cliff

[Heel n Toe]

I've done graphics for people/organizations that were in need of some help in getting off the ground. No biggie, just if our paths crossed... I don't go around looking for opportunities. Did all the photography and artwork for a friend's CD a few years ago... that was as much fun for me as it was valuable to her.

[MotoSook]

Engineers without borders. I heard about this recently, but was turned off because the info on them is a bit too religious or "I'm going to save the world with my faith" kinda thing.

What happened to just doing good for people who need it without trying to change who they are?

[vash]

right. good point...i want to help without the religion aspect.

[gassy]

I give presentations to grade school kids about photography sometimes.

[bivenator]

I work with unwed mothers, trying to help them get started.

[The Gaijin]

I did some construction work in college. Mostly in Japan. (Gaijinrodosha!)

I missed it, so I have volunteered for Habitat for Humanity over the years..

Sometimes HFH drives me crazy, but I have got to work with and get to know some of the families and they are wonderful.. Many families in many homes go to bed at night in a house I helped build.

As a "licensed civil eng.", Vash Man, you could find something cool.

[Tim Walsh]

I'm in IT, does working on EVERY SINGLE family member's machine count? I mean sometimes I think the mother in law's from a foreign nation.

[Tidybuoy]

Originally Posted by Tim Walsh

I'm in IT, does working on EVERY SINGLE family member's machine count? I mean sometimes I think the mother in law's from a foreign nation.

LOL!

I don't work in IT but EVERY SINGLE family member seems to think I do.

[The Gaijin]

Originally Posted by vash

right. good point...i want to help without the religion aspect.

We had lunch one day at a Bed-Sty Church basement.

As the choir sang - the masonry and stone church floated a foot off the foundation. It was beautiful. You will be surprised what you want after a while..

[Moses]

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by bivenator

I work with unwed mothers, trying to help them get started.

I also work with unwed mothers, in other ways.....>:}

[RWebb]

any one who does a public interest job does something good for others

the question is whether they get paid for it and is the pay enough to live on (e.g. cannot afford to volunteer since their pay is so low) and/or worth their effort

an example of the latter (based on a recent discussion with a surgeon friend) - you are highly paid for your surgeries, but...

1. you are on call & get pulled away from parties to stitch up some meth-head who crashed his car
2. you get sued - several times - b/c people expect miracles etc. & that extracts a psychological toll, so much so that by age 50 you just want to grow wine grapes and shove the surgeries

another friend is a social worker who treats children who have been sexually abused - that takes a toll psychologically & does not pay all that well, but is hardly volunteer

another example would be a govt. lawyer - by def'n it is in the public interest (or at least the part of the public that determines what cases they bring)
and they are fairly well paid, but the good ones could make more in private practice

Another issue is whether everyone agrees with the goals you seek:
- public interest law such as suing polluters is an obvious example there