Children’s television host, Mr. Rodgers, said that whenever he watched scary news as a child his mother would tell him to “Look for the helpers.” He said knowing people were helping was a great comfort. His words inspired me to write about my volunteer experiences.

I’ve been a mentor to women in difficult marriages for several years. Last year, I pitched pieces on some of the wisdom I’d gleaned to Opinion (womanalive.co.uk) a Christian magazine in the UK. They accepted several pitches including I’m forever grateful to the woman who saved my marriage – I think we all need a mentor | Opinion | Woman Alive and I swapped my To-Do list for a Ta-Da list and now I see God’s presence in the everyday | Opinion | Woman Alive. The opinion section is open to female and male writers of all levels and seeks articles of 500-750 words connected to news ideas or relevant to faith. Payment is £50.

My training with wives and PEN America, an organization that pairs incarcerated writers with mentors, gave me the confidence to offer my services to beginning non-fiction writers. I am currently on my 4^th project, with my last client self-publishing her first memoir, Starseed to Jesus: Chasing 5D, finding Salvation: Lee, Sarah-Jayne: 9781399969109: Amazon.com: Books with steady sales. The skills of listening, validating, and asking questions to draw out information that I learned in mentoring have helped new writers get their thoughts on paper.

Your Christmas chocolate is probably tainted. Here’s a Christian response | Article | NexGen (premiernexgen.com)published on the parenting site Home | NexGen (premiernexgen.com). came from twenty years of supporting anti-trafficking organizations. This short article flew from my fingertips with heart and conviction. I received several messages from readers who hadn’t realized the extent of slavery in the chocolate industry and were inspired to shop differently.

Unofficial acts of kindness can also be good resources. One of my first paid stories, “Somebody’s Grandfather,” about a homeless man I met as a waitress in NYC, was published in The Big Issue, a global magazine highlighting homelessness and poverty, and later included in my collection of essays with the same title. The Big Issue is part of a network of street newspapers, INSP – Together, we’re tackling poverty and homelessness and are always seeking personal experience pieces on these topics and creative ways to empower those they aid.

During the lockdowns, I served the community, and my mental health, by collecting litter on my daily walks. This simple act of caring for the environment while so much uncertainty and devastation was making its way around the world, gave me courage and focus. I later published an article, Reflective Narrative About Picking Up Trash (grottonetwork.com), on Grotto, Notre Dame’s literary site. The editor, Jessica McCartney, emails a call for pitches every few months to registered writers. Pay is $120 for articles under 900 words.

Do you have article ideas you could pitch from your volunteer experiences? Do you enjoy fostering animals, or helping out at the local SPCA, or other animal sanctuaries? Book collections such as Submit Your Story | Chicken Soup for the Soul have yearly submission calls for pet stories. 9 Publications That Pay You to Write About Animals – Animal Jobs Digest lists opportunities to publish articles on different aspects of animal care and use personal stories as marketing opportunities to raise funds.

Perhaps, working with children is your interest? Clubhouse Submission Guidelines – Focus on the Family is a children’s magazine accepting fiction and non-fiction stories with children as the main characters. They are looking for stories with Christian themes but do not need to be overtly Christian. For non-fiction, you would have to know the legal guidelines.

Another angle would be the effects of volunteerism on volunteers. Articles on improved mental and physical health, a shift in perspective while working with a different population of the public, or the benefits of finding like-minded people are all ideas worthy of consideration.

Writing about volunteering experiences can take the form of how-to’s, human interest stories, personal essays, listicles, etc. We get to share our passion and know-how in authentic ways that benefit readers and put extra income in our pockets.

BIO: Nicole Watt is a mentor for women in difficult marriages at Greater Impact Ministries where she also works as a staff writer. She is a freelance writer of human interest stories and articles on health and justice. She is currently working on her first screenplay. Her favorite place to blog and occasionally give her opinion is Walking Out of Night | An Ómaigh | Facebook