Volunteer for yourself!

One of the great things about Osan is the incredible variety of volunteer opportunities. You can work the phones at the AFRC, walk pets at the vet clinic, price merchandise at the thrift store, pitch mail at the post office, organize holiday parties, or any one (or more!) of a million and one other things. But why? It's kind of a pain to make the effort to get out and find a volunteer position that suits you. Yeah, it helps the base accumulate volunteer hours, which translates into cash for our on-base programs. Of course, it's good to help out a worthy organization if you can. And, sometimes you can get paid child care, which is tempting all by itself.

But here's something you might not have considered: volunteering can provide a huge benefit to you, too. It's a great way to learn a new skill, get some experience for your resume, or make contacts that could lead to paid employment. If you're interested in party planning, for example, OPN would love to have you do some children's holiday parties. Your squadron would probably appreciate your efforts, too, and so would the OSC and some other organizations on base. Take pictures at the party and document your work, and after a few parties, you have a nice portfolio to show paying customers.

Or, if you're interested in business, come to the thrift store and help out! You can gain some great experience in a variety of business and non-profit specialties: operations, marketing, merchandising, customer service and much more.

Almost every office on base can use volunteers, too, and you can make some valuable contacts. Many places on base are staffed by employees of big defense contractors who hire for jobs on bases all over the world, and likely at your next duty station.

There is definitely something for everyone. The AFRC has a list of ongoing opportunities, and there are always more popping up. Or, go out and find your own!