10 Benefits of Volunteering
Website design By BotEap.comThere is apparently a great need for volunteers to get involved and internally there are huge personal benefits to volunteering. Having spent over 2,000 volunteer hours doing anything from direct service, literally pulling weeds, to capacity building, implementing programs at non-profit organizations; I’ve compiled a list of all the reasons I love volunteering and the joys anyone can share by donating their time.
- Learn new skills. The non-profit world is very resourceful as they are typically on a tight budget and this allows volunteers the opportunity to learn new skills. Before volunteering, he had never written a press release, but he knew he needed it when he was helping to organize events for a non-profit organization and wanted to promote them. Being resourceful, I talked to someone who was an expert in this area, and so I learned, and even had the satisfaction of seeing them published in the newspaper. Website design By BotEap.com
- Make difference. In everyday life, it’s sometimes hard to see your work unfold, but volunteering gives you the chance to see the immediate impact. I volunteered at a food bank one weekend and spent a full day weeding and checking a vegetable patch to prepare for planting new crops. While this was no easy job, it was really satisfying to see a field at the start of the day completely overgrown with weeds (you wouldn’t even have known it was a garden) to transform at the end of the day into a beautiful garden with defined rows and walkways. There is something to be said for seeing the immediate impact of your work. Website design By BotEap.com
- Build trust. Part of building confidence means continually growing and learning in life. To do that, you must take on new challenges and learn to maneuver through these challenges in order to overcome them. By doing this, a spirit of “I can do it!” from within, building their confidence and self-esteem. I was once fundraising for a non-profit organization and one of the tasks I signed up for was asking for donations from local businesses. Now, I had done sales before, but I had never done this kind of selling, which was basically asking for something for free. I was nervous doing it, but after securing my first donation, I built a “can do” attitude and the confidence to secure more donations. Website design By BotEap.com
- To have new experiences. You never know, while volunteering you might discover something you really love and develop a new passion or hobby. For me, volunteering itself was just that and I never would have known if he hadn’t tried. Website design By BotEap.com
- Get out of your comfort zone. Volunteering can offer you the opportunity to try something you have never done before. Volunteering gives you a chance to test the waters and see whether or not you like something before committing fully. For example, maybe you are thinking about a career change and want to go into teaching, you could volunteer at a children’s after school program to see if making this career change is the right move for you. Website design By BotEap.com
- Get new perspectives. Depending on where you volunteer, you may be exposed to things you’ve never seen before. I was 12 years old when I had my first volunteer experience that really impacted me. As part of a club I participated in at school, I collected toiletries to donate to a homeless shelter. After collecting these bathroom essentials for over a month, we took a bus to Skid Row in Los Angeles. This was the first time I was exposed to poverty at its worst and saw things I had never seen before both on the sidewalks and in the shelter itself. The experience really grabbed me and opened my eyes to the extreme poverty in our country. Website design By BotEap.com
- Feel good about yourself. Giving services, time, energy, love, and compassion to those less fortunate than ourselves has its own special rewards. Volunteering boosts your self-esteem and can fill the void in an empty heart with the incredible feeling of happiness and fulfillment found in the act of giving. Website design By BotEap.com
- It’s fun. What’s not to love about making friends, building trust and seeing an impact? It’s fun to see their work come together and bring smiles and laughter to people’s faces. Website design By BotEap.com
- Making new friends. I cannot stress this benefit enough. Some of my closest friends today, I’ve met through various volunteer projects and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Volunteering is a great way to meet kind, warm-hearted people. Website design By BotEap.com
- Connect and network in community. If you are new to a community, one of the best ways to get involved is by volunteering. Your volunteer work can expose you to individuals, businesses, and organizations throughout the community. It opens up networking opportunities and is a great conversation starter while attending local events. Most of my volunteer work has taken place in one community and it makes me feel connected to my community, care a little more about it, and even make me proud to live where I live.