I think those are great ideas, especially anything where you're personally in touch with a situation that can encite your empathy. It would seem that any non-romantic venue feels safer to you, but empathy is empathy, (same with intimacy/ compassion/ etc.), and practicing these things actually makes you better at them. Working with disaster relief would be a great place to start, methinks.
[we've been chatting most the day t'would seem. g'night now]