New Jersey residents find meaning in volunteering

Coming up in early December you have a chance to help preserve a Jersey Shore treasure at Island Beach State Park.

You can roll up your sleeves and plant seagrass on the dunes with 200 other New Jerseyans who care about preserving the beach on one of the few pristine stretches of shoreline in our state.

The date is Saturday, Dec. 4 and there are still some spots open.

This got us thinking about how many different volunteer opportunities there are in the Garden State. Not everyone has the time or energy to volunteer their time with the high cost of living here and many people working just to keep their heads above water. But if you don't have hobbies and you have some free time, volunteering your time, effort and expertise can be deeply rewarding for many people.

Many of us have family obligations that take up our time and energy, but lots of us would like to "do something," even though sometimes we don't know exactly what that is.

If you're looking to volunteer your time but not sure where to go, here is a resource that might be helpful.

We asked our listeners what kind of volunteer organizations they're involved in. Here a just a few examples.

House of Restoration Church in Trenton: They collect food and supplies for people in need in the Trenton area. They can be reached at (609)-331-7248.

SPUR: It's run by Monmouth County Parks and stands for Special People United to Ride. It's a non-profit organization that gives people with special needs the opportunity to achieve personal goals through therapeutic horseback riding.

Dream Center: A community-based volunteer organization committed to helping residents of inner-city Philadelphia.

Pick It Up: They are a group of volunteers that clean up the environment and pick up trash in the Monmouth County area.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis Malloy's own.