At the risk of getting specific prematurely, can I put in a plug for working with ex-offenders (some prefer the term “returning citizens”)? Folks who are getting out of long-term prison stays exist in every community and they are a seriously underserved population. Most cities/states have an “office of ex-offender affairs” or some such and can put you in touch with an organization that is happy to have volunteers. Also, my experience of homeless shelters is that they are always happy to have people cook and some people think of cooking and serving food as the big ways they can serve. Those are good things to do but if cooking isn’t your thing, lots of shelters are looking for folks to do simple job skills training or computer lessons. Most UUs are pretty professionally successful and probably have a lot to give in these areas. Sitting down with somebody and having them dictate their experience to you while you design them a resume takes an hour, but it can seriously change a life. If either of these areas interest anyone in DC, they can contact me and I will put them in touch with the appropriate people, but similar opportunities must exist in every city.