A new Washington state Web site connects people willing to volunteer with non-profits who need them. The initiative, VolunteerWashington, is designed to connect people in recovery efforts after a disaster.

But an interesting feature is that it also lets local organizations register and potential voluteers search for opportunities by causes, such as environment or literacy, or by Zip code. I plugged in my Zip code and found seven volunteer openings in my neighborhood. The voluteer work ranges from building parade floats for the Fremont Arts Council to doing yard work and errands for a couple with health problems in Issaquah.