Issue Date: February 11, 2007
Volunteer for love
When Nic Bonsell, 25, volunteered to rebuild homes for Hands On New Orleans, his reason was pretty straightforward. "My mission was purely about being involved in something that gave purpose to my life," he says.
It did. And now, a year later, he also has someone to share Valentine's Day with -- his girlfriend, a fellow volunteer.
I've been saying this to singles for years: Add volunteering to your "meet market" list and odds are that feeling good about helping others won't be the only thing you take home with you. It's socializing without the superficiality. No cool drink names to know or trendy clothes to buy.
Spend a little less time online dating and log on to VolunteerMatch.org. Find an organization in your area that sparks your personal interests (building homes, aiding the elderly) and sign up. All you have to spend is time.
And don't let any guilt over less-than-selfless motives stop you from giving back. Looking for love while providing love to others is a fair trade.
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Tune in!
Dennie joins soap stars to help out in the Gulf
Watch columnist Dennie Hughes on TV's "Guiding Light" this Wednesday (CBS; check local listings). Like this week's column, volunteering is also the theme of the special edition of the daytime soap.
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