Donating your time, expertise, and service for the good of another is the essence of volunteering. While the concept is increasing in popularity among all age groups, volunteering is rich in history, spanning from the battlefield to the inner-city streets. Its focus has remained the same through the generations—to encourage goodness and improvement in humanity’s quality of life.

The Faces Behind Volunteerism

There are as many ways to volunteer your time as there are organizations that welcome it. Volunteering is not only a “feel-good” activity but an integral part of our communities. More than 60 million Americans serve as volunteers or mentors, donating more than eight billion hours of service each year.

With all that help, do they really need more? How will one more person really make a difference? Consider for a moment what would happen if volunteers just stopped serving. Homeless shelters would close. Food pantries would be empty. Community parks would be full of trash. The elderly might be forgotten. The visually impaired might not have trained service animals. After-school programs would cease to exist, leaving countless children susceptible to life on the streets. Without volunteers, the impact on our towns, schools, parks, museums, and faith-based institutions would be catastrophic.

What Do Volunteers Do?

Volunteers provide a variety of services and support. Some of the activities in which volunteers participate include answering phones, delivering meals, serving as volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians, working on political campaigns, caring and training animals, building homes and infrastructure, beautifying parks, and assisting with arts and cultural exhibits.

Volunteers who provide support and guidance to young people are known as mentors, and while mentoring can be a much bigger commitment than other types of service, it can also be even more rewarding. Check with your local schools, community non-profits, or faith communities to find out more about mentoring opportunities and how you can start.

Why Volunteer?

Being able to make a difference in the life of another, and often your own as well, is one of the greatest advantages of volunteering. It’s also a healthy way to cope after a disaster or tragedy. Many high schools across the country believe it’s a valuable part of education and require students to volunteer a certain amount of hours in order to graduate. In addition, there are many other reasons to donate your time:

Promotes health. Research shows that focusing on helping others can reduce stress and interrupt your body’s patterns of tension. In addition, volunteers note an increase in overall happiness and pride.
Build relationships. A community is only as strong as its people. Friendships often emerge from volunteering, and neighborhoods grow closer. Every person counts, and each volunteer makes a difference.
Deepen Values. For many volunteers, the experience alone is enough to reshape, redirect, or further deepen their core values, perspectives, and life goals. It may even spur on greater spiritual or emotional growth.
Increase purpose. Many successful businessmen and women have confessed to feeling “empty” despite reaching the top of their careers. Volunteering is a way to engage in a truly life-changing experience that leads to meaning and purpose.
Prepare for a career. Opportunities to experience a trade before investing a lot of time and money for formal training can be an invaluable exploratory tool. Try out a variety of volunteer jobs, and gain valuable experience you might need for a career in that field. You also might meet a future employer or make a solid networking connection. In addition, volunteer experience is an asset on any résumé, job, or college application.
Encourage learning. You can develop a variety of skills and passions from volunteering. Receiving and giving training demonstrates your ability to be a good student and teacher.
Save money. According to the Nonprofit Leadership Center, as of April 2022, the estimated national value of each volunteer hour is currently $29.95. This amounts to considerable savings in an organization and lets them allocate funds elsewhere. Volunteer work is valued at over $200 billion in the United States alone.
Develop good citizenship. Becoming a volunteer makes you an integral part of your community and develops civic responsibility. It will also keep you informed about the news and needs in your area.

Volunteering or mentoring is a sacrifice, but it’s well worth it. Anyone can write a check, but donated time is a great gift, not to mention a commodity we all have. How are you spending your time? If you are interested in making a difference through volunteerism, search out opportunities based on your interests and commitment levels at volunteerguide.org.

Sources:

Idealist.org. What Is Volunteering? Published March 23, 2017. Accessed January 27, 2023.

UC San Diego. Community Service: Top 10 Reasons to Volunteer. Accessed January 27, 2023.

Helpguide.org. Volunteering and it’s Surprising Benefits. Published December 5, 2022. Accessed January 27, 2023.

Volunteering and Mentoring

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