The dating scene can be very competitive, and the traditional options to meet women don't always cut it. But what about volunteering?
Volunteering to meet women is viable, but it comes with some significant disadvantages. Meeting someone who's around your age, is attractive, likes you, and is single isn't guaranteed. While the quality of the person could be higher, it may just not be worth your time.
However, if you're already planning to volunteer, you can certainly still have some success with it.
We'll cover how to gauge if it's worthwhile for you, the best spots to volunteer at, and how to actually progress things with someone you may meet and like.
We will also touch on other ideas, like joining volunteer groups specifically for singles.
To get a more accurate picture, let's further break this down to help you make a more informed decision.
As mentioned, the likelihood of meeting someone is low. You could easily volunteer at various places for weeks on end without getting a number.
At the end of the day- it should be looked at from a time-investment standpoint. You could look like a Greek God and still have no luck solely due to the odds of it.
Compared to online dating or even cold approach, you would likely have much more success in the long run (even if it requires a significant effort to improve your appearance first).
If you don't care much about the act of actually volunteering and helping out, then I advise against it.
If you already want to volunteer but are still on the fence overall, it's only fair to talk about some of the reasons to do it:
First, choosing a place you're interested in is best (we'll review some options in the next section).
This relates back to actually being interested in volunteering in the first place.
If there are causes you're passionate about, then choose primarily based on those reasons versus places that may have the most single women.
You may also want to bounce around a bit if there is more than one. So if you first helped out your local SPCA, you could volunteer at a different location the following week (or even at an aquarium or zoo).
The people you meet will likely be friendly- which will work in your favor.
You're in an environment where it's natural to chat and get to know each other, which can be a great ice-breaker.
If there's someone you like, ask them questions like:
It's likely, especially if you become a "regular," that others will want to exchange phone numbers with you. It's also an easy "excuse" to ask for her number.
Once you've got to know her after a while, you can also suggest carpooling together as well.
There are many options beyond the usual spots. It may be worthwhile considering any skills you have that may be relevant to a specific cause.
VolunteerMatch.org and Idealist.org are great resources to help match you up with organizations in your area that currently need someone too.
While it's understandable many guys struggle to meet women through common methods like clubs or social circles, volunteering is no better off.
Dating apps, despite being competitive, will likely have a much better return on your time invested. They are also a better option for hooking up with women when you're broke.
Despite this, there are still opportunities to be had if you already want to volunteer.
If you're still looking for a place to spend your time and need work, look into working at restaurants or clubs.
Even being a cook or a doorman can help you meet a lot of women you may be interested in.
Finally- look into volunteer groups aimed towards singles, like on Meetup.com. I personally don't have experience with this site or the specific group, so I can't vouch for it. However, it may still be worth looking into.
If you volunteer, ensure you know you would be completely fine if it doesn't work out. If you approach this being authentic and genuine- you'll be in a better position to meet someone too.