Throw out that resolution that’s all about you, and replace it with one that can affect somebody else’s life for the better. Not sure exactly where to put that compassionate caring to good use? New Times can give you a few suggestions in the annual Volunteers issue. Arts Editor Ryah Cooley profiled two people who spend their days helping the working poor live a better quality of life in this week’s cover story. One works for the Catholic Worker in Guadalupe, handing out food that supplements the low incomes of area residents, who are farmworkers more often than not. The other spearheads the Community Resource Connections office in Morro Bay, which aims to link folks with the resources they need.

Along that same compassionate vein are stories about Wilshire Community Services bringing seniors together with companions, a man taking time to inspire art creation at the Achievement House, the volunteer arm of the U.S. Coast Guard, and the docents who spend time with the elephant seals at Piedras Blancas.