How Two Hours Changed my Outlook on Giving Back

Written By Kasey Hartline

Written by Cheyenne Enkelmann

Social and Digital Marketing Coordinator, Jordan Valley Health

When I was a kid, there wasn’t a week that passed without my family volunteering together in some way, shape, or form. Food banks, clothing drives, neighborhood cleanups. If it was happening, my family was probably there.

And as a kid, I had mixed feelings about it. Sometimes, I was annoyed. I had a Nintendo DS to play. Books to read. TV to watch. There were approximately a million things I would have rather been doing with my Saturday.

My parents knew something I didn’t, though.

They knew it was important for me to grow up understanding that every person in this world will need help When I was a kid, there wasn’t a week that passed without my family volunteering together in some way, shape, or form. Food banks, clothing drives, neighborhood cleanups. If it was happening, my family was probably there. Many years have passed since I lived with my parents, but their love of giving back came with me.

Then, in 2020, COVID shut down the world, and the needs of vulnerable communities became more visible than ever. That’s when I started volunteering as an adult. The funny thing? I didn’t have much time to spare.

Between building my career, keeping up with a house, working out, spending time with friends and family, and all the other things that come with having a full life, I could realistically give about two hours a month.

But that was enough.

And over the years, I’ve learned a few things about volunteering that I wish I’d understood sooner.

1. You Don’t Need a Lot of Time

I think one of the biggest reasons people don’t volunteer is because they assume it requires a major time commitment.

It doesn’t.

Maybe you have an entire Saturday to give. Maybe you have two hours a month. Maybe you have 30 minutes between meetings. Whatever time you have, there is probably a way to use it.

Volunteering doesn’t have to mean committing to something every week for the next five years. Sometimes it means showing up for one event. Sometimes it means spending an afternoon helping an organization with a project. Sometimes it means grabbing a few nonperishables on your weekly grocery run and dropping them off at your local food bank.

Two hours might not sound like much. But two hours is still two hours more than an organization had before you showed up.

2. You don’t have to do it alone

Volunteering doesn’t have to be a solo activity. In fact, some of my favorite volunteer experiences have been the ones I’ve shared with other people.

Grab a few friends and spend an afternoon helping at a food pantry. Get your coworkers together for a community cleanup. Find a volunteer opportunity through a networking group, like getting a few folks together from Women in Technology. Or make it a family tradition and bring your kids along so they can learn the same lesson my parents taught me.

There’s also something pretty great about volunteering with people you already know. You get to spend time together, meet new people and give back to your community all at the same time. And if you’re anything like me, having someone else committed to showing up makes it a whole lot easier to actually follow through.

So if volunteering feels intimidating, don’t feel like you have to walk into a new organization by yourself and figure it all out. Ask a friend to come with you. Invite your coworkers. Talk to your professional network. Find a group that already volunteers together.

You don’t have to do it alone. Sometimes, the easiest way to start giving back is simply to bring someone with you.

3. You don’t have to look very far

When we think about volunteering, it’s easy to picture a formal nonprofit with a volunteer application, orientation and a calendar full of shifts.

Those opportunities absolutely exist, and they’re great.

But volunteering can also be much more informal.

Help your neighbor carry something inside. Pick up trash when you’re walking through your neighborhood. Donate clothes you’re no longer wearing. Offer to help a friend who’s organizing a fundraiser. Mentor someone at work. Bring supplies to a classroom. Share a nonprofit’s fundraiser with your network.

You don’t always have to find an organization and ask, “How can I volunteer?”

Sometimes you just have to look around and ask, “Where is there a need?”


Okay, but where do I actually start?

If you’re reading this and thinking, This all sounds great, but what am I actually supposed to do? I have good news.

There are a million ways to give back, and they don’t all require the same amount of time, energy or commitment.


Have five minutes?

  • Share a nonprofit’s post on Facebook.

  • Tell a friend or neighbor about a resource available around town.

  • Introduce someone in your network to a local nonprofit you think they’d enjoy supporting.

  • Send an encouraging email or text to someone in your network who’s doing work to make our community better.

Have an hour?

Have a few hours a month?

Ready to really get involved?

  • Join a nonprofit board.

  • Organize a fundraiser for an organization you love.

  • Host a neighborhood block party or cookout.

There isn’t one “right” way to volunteer. You don’t need a perfect schedule, unlimited free time or a burning desire to spend your Saturday sorting canned goods.
You just need to start somewhere.

Give an hour. Bring a friend. Help your neighbor. Join a group. Pick up some extra groceries. Use the skills you already have.

Whatever you do, just don’t wait until you have “more time.”


I waited until I had more time for years. Turns out, two hours was enough.

Kasey Hartline
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