Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits

HELPING YOURSELF WHILE HELPING OTHERS
In today’s busy society, it can be hard to think about finding time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous, both to you, your family and the community. The right match can help you find friends, reach out to the community, learn new skills and even advance your career. Volunteering can even help protect your mental and physical health. Learn more about the many benefits of volunteering and tips on finding the right place for you.

Benefits of volunteering #1: 

Volunteering connects you to others

One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. However, volunteering is a two-way street, and it can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

• Volunteering helps you make new friends and contacts

One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. Volunteering also strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.

• Volunteering increases your social and relationship skills

While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.

Benefits of volunteering #2: 

Volunteering is good for your mind and body

Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health.

• Volunteering increasing self-confidence. 

Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.

• Volunteering combats depression. 

Reducing the risk of depression is another important benefit of volunteering. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times.

• Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy.

Volunteering is good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.

Benefits of volunteering #3: 

Volunteering can advance your career

If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching your wings at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer position first.

• Volunteering can provide career experience

Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in. For example, if you’re interested in nursing, you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home. Your volunteer work might also expose you to professional organizations or internships that could be of benefit to your career.

• Volunteering can teach you valuable job skills

Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. For example, you could become an experienced crisis counselor while volunteering for a women’s shelter or a knowledgeable art historian while donating your time as a museum docent.

Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the greater community. For instance, if you hold a successful sales position, you raise awareness for your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate, while further developing and improving your public speaking, communication, and marketing skills.

When it comes to volunteering, passion and positivity are the only requirements

While learning new skills can be beneficial to many, it’s not a requirement for a fulfilling volunteer experience. Bear in mind that the most valuable skills you can bring to any volunteer effort are compassion, an open mind, a willingness to do whatever is needed, and a positive attitude.

Benefits of volunteering #4: 

Volunteering brings fun & fulfillment to your life

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.
Many people volunteer in order to make time for hobbies outside of work as well. For instance, if you have a desk job and long to spend time outdoors, you might consider volunteering to help plant a community garden, lead local hikes, or help at a children’s camp.

• Consider your goals and interests

You will have a richer and more enjoyable volunteering experience if you first take some time to identify your goals and interests. Start by thinking about why you want to volunteer. Also think about what you would enjoy doing. Volunteer opportunities that match both your goals and your interests are most likely to be fun and fulfilling for you.

Tips for Getting Started Volunteering

First, ask yourself if there is something specific you want to do.
For example, do I want…

• …to make it better around where I live 
• …to meet people who are different from me 
• …to try something new 
• …to do something with my spare time 
• …to see a different way of life and new places 
• …to have a go at the type of work I might want to do as a full-time job 
• …to do more with my interests and hobbies 
• …to do something I’m good at

The best way to volunteer is to match your personality and interests. Having answers to these questions will help you narrow down your search.

How to find the right volunteer opportunity

There are numerous volunteer opportunities available. The key is to find a volunteer position that you would enjoy and are capable of doing. It’s also important to make sure that your commitment matches the organization’s needs. The following questions can help you narrow your options:

• Would you like to work with people or would you rather work in solitude?
• Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
• Are you better behind the scenes or do you prefer to take a more visible role?
• How much time are you willing to commit?
• How much responsibility are you ready to take on?
• What skills can you bring a volunteer job?
• What causes are important to you?

Consider several possibilities

In your search for the right volunteer opportunity, don’t limit yourself to just one organization or one specific type of job. Sometimes an opportunity looks great on paper, but the reality is quite different. Try to visit different organizations and get a feel for what they are like and if you click with other staff and volunteers. The more satisfaction you have as a volunteer, the better your contributions and the more likely you’ll continue.

Getting the most out of volunteering

You’re donating your valuable time, so it’s important that you enjoy and benefit from your volunteering. It’s important to make sure that your volunteer position is a good fit and to communicate with the people you’re working with in the volunteer organization.
Ask questions. You want to make sure that the experience is right for your skills, your goals, and the time you want to spend. If you have any questions, be sure to speak up. Sample questions to your volunteer coordinator might address your time commitment, if there’s any training involved, who you will be working with, and what to do if you have questions during your experience.
Make sure you know what’s expected. Before starting, make sure you are comfortable with the organization, know what is expected, and understand the time commitment. Consider starting small so that you don’t over commit yourself at first. Give yourself some flexibility to change your focus if needed.
Don’t be afraid to make a change. Speak up if your experience isn’t what you expected. Don’t force yourself into a bad fit. Talk to the organization about changing your focus or consider looking for another match.
Enjoy yourself. Most importantly, make sure you’re having fun! The best volunteer experiences benefit both the volunteer and the organization. If you’re not enjoying yourself, ask yourself why. Is it the tasks you’re performing? The people you’re working with? Or are you uncomfortable simply because the situation is new and familiar? Pinpointing what’s bothering you can help you decide how to proceed.

THE REWARDS OF VOLUNTEERING

Volunteering not only works for those receiving help but also those who do different kinds of volunteering acts. Truth be told, when faced with the question of Why Is Volunteering Important; there are many reasons why it is beneficial to all concerned.

Firstly, when we volunteer our time for a good cause; the rewards we reap are far greater than any promotion we could get from work; or good grades we get from school.

People who volunteer can't help but feel just a little bit more positive about life. When we see the dire straits of others; we feel lucky and blessed to have a better life.

Another reason on Why Is Volunteering Important is that we imbibe in others the spirit of generosity - of giving back to others; even strangers, all the good things we have received in life. It's paying it forward as volunteers would often tell people who ask Why Is Volunteering Important to them?

Still perhaps to others, when asked Why Is Volunteering Important; we say that its importance lies in showing those who need help that the world is still a beautiful place to live in. It's validating that no matter what kind of tragedy strikes; there would always be a silver lining to every rain cloud.

Volunteering also gives hope to those who may have lost all hope to live; who may have lost their trust on humanity. We may even be instrumental in inspiring others to pick up their lives and start over; and perhaps also inspire others to volunteer their time, talent and resources.

Why volunteer?

People volunteer at different times of their lives for different reasons:

1. you might want to give something back to your local community or a particular group which helped you at a difficult time in your life
2. you might feel isolated and want to meet new friends
3. you may be unemployed/looking for a new career direction/have been made redundant so want to learn new skills and keep yourself active
4. you could have experiences and skills you’d like to pass on to others.

It’s flexible - you decide how much you want to do and when, taking into account the other commitments you have in your life.
Although you won’t be paid, there are other rewards for volunteering:

1. building up confidence and self-esteem
2. meeting people in similar circumstances
3. learning transferable skills
4. trying out new experiences
5. helping others as well as yourself
6. and very often, having a lot of fun!

There are many training opportunities you can access as a volunteer, it shouldn’t affect your benefits and many volunteer organisations offer out-of-pocket expenses. And it looks good on your CV - many employers look very favourably on volunteering experience.

Volunteers

In general terms, volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving.

Volunteering takes many forms and is performed by a wide range of people. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work in, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Other volunteers serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response to a natural disaster or for a beach-cleanup.

In a military context, a volunteer army is an army whose soldiers chose to enter service, as opposed to having been conscripted. Such volunteers do not work for free and are given regular pay.

What is so special about volunteering for development?

Sustainable development requires people’s engagement. There is no question about that. People are development actors and not only recipients. Notions of inclusion, participation, ownership, solidarity and social cohesion leading to real capacity development and social capital come to mind.

Take the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) . It is clear that none of the MDGs will be attained if not also for the millions of ordinary people willing to involve themselves through voluntary action. Think, for example, of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in which 10 million people volunteered, mostly in their own local communities, to support the immunization of 550 million children. The actual contribution of the volunteers, in economic terms, has been estimated at more than US$10 billion. That amount is far beyond the reach of governments or international and national organizations. Equally important, though, is that capacity was developed in the process. In return for their time, local volunteers received health training and became entry points for future development efforts in their communities.

Such volunteering for development requires a united effort. It cannot be taken for granted. It needs to be recognized, facilitated, networked and promoted. Supporting and identifying ways to maximize the contribution of volunteerism to development, in close collaboration with all its development partners.