There are many ways to be involved in the community, the important thing is to BE involved!
There are so many ways to get involved and it will make the world just that much nicer to live in! Go watch a show at a local dinner theater, volunteer for a cause you believe in, find out what the issues are for your local teachers and law enforcement officers and write a letter to your representative to support their cause, make a donation to a reputable charity.
Volunteer Match has a wealth of volunteer opportunities in your area. Get involved!
Here's just snippet of some of the ways I get involved:
Outreach
Support Survivors!
Rape Survivors In the past, I have volunteered as a hotline call taker and an emergency advocate for rape survivors through the Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR). I'm currently looking for something similar to support as a volunteer, here in Orlando (and I'm still looking; please let me know if you know of an organization that I could help!).
Another excellent, and incredibly valuable, organization that provides resources, services, and hope for rape survivors is the Rape And Incest National Network.
The best resource for a survivor of rape is you. Whether you think you know a rape survivor or not, chances are that you do. Be a good friend; be a good listener.
Breast Cancer Survivors Do something good for yourself and support research to cure breast cancer, Run! Check out the Komen Foundation to learn more about the research and the support or to look up a Race for the Cure near you. Breast cancer affects more than you might imagine, too. Let's remember those we've lost, and hug those who are still with us now!
Art
Listen! I love my public radio! I'm a satisfied sustaining member of WMFE. Thank you for being there when I turn on the radio!
And I must mention WYEP, where I first fell in love with public radio and still listen via streaming now.
Commercial radio no longer seems support music as an art, but music as a business (and nothing more). If you appreciate music as a form of art, you can support your local musicians and you can listen to a variety of internet radio stations that are commercial free (so they can play music that's actually good). I recommend Radio Paradise. Remember to support them financially, too!!