Many people would like to volunteer their time to a favorite charity or other organization, but can't seem to find the time. Busy work schedules and the demands of family life get in the way of making a serious commitment to many volunteer activities. Volunteering to do the plumbing on a house for Habitat for Humanity, for instance, or teaching an adult to read, can involve serious demands on your time.

Luckily, volunteer opportunities exist that can be accomplished in a few hours, with no necessity of making a long-term commitment. Volunteer to walk the dogs at a local animal shelter, once a week or even once a month if that's all the time you can spare. Put yourself on a list at the local Red Cross to drive cancer patients to the regional cancer center for their treatments; again, if you can only drive once a month, that may be all the commitment needed.

Check with your area United Way to find out if they have a list of organizations and volunteer activities. Many agencies and non-profits are more than happy to accept a few hours of your time a month.

If you can't carve out a specific period of time to spend at a specific location, you may be able to contribute time on your own terms. Write press releases for your favorite charity, or offer to stuff envelopes for a fundraising effort. As long as you meet the organization's deadlines, these are activities that you can do on your own time.

Don't be afraid to contact an organization you're interested in to volunteer. Simply define for yourself what time you can and cannot contribute, and communicate that to the volunteer coordinator. Chances are he or she will be happy to accommodate you and accept what time you can give.