So, tomorrow is Valentine's Day and florists will be scrambling to fill orders and chocolate consumption is expected to rise by maybe a jillion percent. Suppose we take this day dedicated to love and use it to show that we have big hearts by serving or giving to others?

Take a moment to look over some ideas for a more giving Valentine's Day that can create memories that last long after that flower arrangement has wilted.

Let's Get It Started: You may be anxious about jumping in if you're new to volunteering. Some groups are holding orientation sessions to discuss the many ways you can get involved with service. You can follow a long lunch with an orientation session with New York Cares or learn more about opportunities before dinner at a Jersey Cares Orientation in Newark. These are two of the organizations working alongside national service members to help area residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.

If I Had a Hammer: It takes a lot of coordination to do the work Habitat for Humanity does to create-low-cost housing opportunities. Habitat Greater San Francisco is hosting an all-day warehouse prep session tomorrow to help them continue their work in the area, you can learn more about the project by visiting their site.

Make a Stand: Volunteering together doesn't take a lot of effort; you just need to make time to help. The group 1 Billion Rising will hold events tomorrow across the country tomorrow to end violence against women, and the Atlanta event is looking for volunteer support.

Give to a Good Cause: There are thousands of aid and advocacy groups working to solve problems across the country. Whether the issue is feeding the hungry, educating needy students, eradicating a disease that has affected someone in your life, or something else, Valentine's Day would be a great day to help the cause with a donation.

We'll Take an IOU: If you're busy tomorrow, we're sure that your help would be welcomed later by any of these organizations, and you can use our search engine find volunteer opportunities all year long.

As an AmeriCorps VISTA at Habitat for Humanity International, I spend most of my days planning for events, attending meetings for upcoming projects, and supporting the wonderful and exciting things my fellow Habitaters (coworkers) are doing. Recently, I had an opportunity to see the impact Habitat makes firsthand as we led a project to help homeowners affected by Hurricane Sandy.
 

The Hurricane Sandy recovery continues with more than 1,660 national service participants deployed in response to the storm and 715 currently serving on the ground and working with the storm’s victims. At this time 407 members of FEMA Corps, an AmeriCorps NCCC unit, have deployed or are being re-routed to New York and New Jersey to support FEMA Emergency Response operations in those areas.
 

In the spring of 2011, a Marine stood on the porch steps of his new home in Annapolis, MD. He was not thinking about the beautiful row house that he would now share with his wife and four children, but was looking down at the porch that he helped build with his own hands. He was contemplating his spirit of service with a renewed vigor and hope.
 

For Tina Kiehn, an AmeriCorps NCCC member in Aurora, IL, the morning of September 11, 2001, started out as a day like any other. She was at her service site, helping a class of first graders adjust to the new school year. With summer just behind them, Kiehn and her team expected a normal daily schedule: classes, recess, homework help.
 

For some veterans, it feels like another battle begins when they return home from serving their country – getting a place to call home.
 

Today, to celebrate AmeriCorps Week, I served with a group of volunteers – including five enthusiastic AmeriCorps members – at a Habitat for Humanity build site in Washington, DC.
 

On the National Service blog, the past few weeks have been dedicated to veterans. We've shared stories of WWII and Gulf War vets, of vets inspiring and helping young people, and of vets serving their country on the battlefield, and off.
 

In December 1985, the United Nations designated the first Monday of October as World Habitat Day. This year, the theme of World Habitat Day is Cities and Climate Change.