Make Lasting Holiday Memories With These 5 Volunteer Opportunities In Lakeland

LAKELAND, FL — Volunteering is a meaningful way to connect with neighbors in Lakeland and make lasting holiday memories for both yourself and the people you help.

Volunteering also fosters a sense of shared responsibility and purpose, leading to a more vibrant, resilient, and engaged community with a higher quality of life.

Many of the organizations that make life better in Lakeland depend on volunteers, including food distribution, providing at-risk seniors with support and fostering animals.

Here are five ways to volunteer in Lakeland:

• Arts in Medicine: Housed at the Watson Clinic Cancer and Research Center, this program brings the arts into healthcare settings offering everything from musical performances to therapeutic creative outlets for patients, caregivers, and staff.
• Friends of the Polk County Parks Foundation: If you love nature and the outdoors, there are a number of ways to promote and support Polk County’s parks, open spaces and recreational resources.
• Lakeland Humane Society: Foster an animal over the holidays between Dec. 18 and Jan. 2. There are also year-round volunteer opportunities.
• United Way of Central Florida: With so many programs and initiatives, there are numerous ways to volunteer with United Way: help with food distribution, prepare taxes for families in need, become a ReadingPal for local children.
• Volunteers in Service to the Elderly: This organization serves at-risk seniors throughout the greater Lakeland area by providing essential services to them, including transportation, hot meals and supplemental groceries, and company.