More and more I'm seeing posts online about volunteering and it's not just aimed at the general public, but those that are currently unemployed. I believe it's a fabulous idea. Of course, I'm a proponent of volunteering and being involved with responsible charitble causes employed or not - there are so many benefits both to you as well as the receipients.
My father encouraged me at at young age to go with him as he delivered food baskets to the less fortunate at Thanksgiving and Christmas. He made sure that I saw the poverty of where these folks lived and how they survived without basic necessities like electricity. It made our home seem like a mansion. A mansion in my eyes at least because I think one of our homes could have been looked at by others as being in the poorer area of town.
Staying active while you've been laid off will obviously do wonders for your morale, but it will also help organizations. You can offer them so much of your experience. You can bring to them expertises and insight that they may not have been able to afford.
This BusinessElite post has some other great tips on how volunteering may just be your ticket to enhancing your time away from your career.
Volunteering - 6 Reasons Why It Will Help Your Careers and Your Karma