the first step

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 150: Volunteer Work.

You’re listening to English as a Second Language Podcast episode 150. I’m your host, Dr. Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California.

On this podcast, we’re going to learn about people who volunteer their time to help others. Let’s get started!

Some people say that it's civic duty to "give back" to your community. That's true, but for me, I want to do some volunteer work so that I can feel useful. I've been working at the same job for years and it's not at all rewarding. Yes, I make good money, but I never feel like I'm doing any good in the world.

When I was in college, I had dreams of changing the world. I wanted to work in a non- profit organization that did relief work, that helped women and children in need, or that had an impact on public policy. I've begun to think again about those dreams and thought I might take the first step of doing some volunteering. Then, I can see if I like that kind of work and make some hard decisions.

I called an organization that helped