First in a two-part series
I get e-mails on a regular basis from people wanting to do volunteer or professional work with nonprofit and/or nongovernmental organizations here in Japan. Many find themselves at a loss about how to start. I am often asked three basic questions: How can I meet people at nonprofits helping those in need? Are there any events in English? And what types of organizations are out there?
Getting involved is not as difficult as you might expect. First you need to know what you want to do and what is out there. It requires an investment of time for research and networking but once you suss out the options available to you, I am sure most people can discover a group to work with.