Volunteerism has been linked to increased longevity, lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol, and an overall higher quality of life. The flexible and adaptive nature of volunteerism grants volunteers opportunities to improve their careers, environments, social lives, and sense of self. An individual's financial, emotional, and physical ability to volunteer for a cause that is meaningful to them will affect any benefits they may receive from volunteering. OVERVIEW Hi there, thank you for your question about the benefits of volunteering to the volunteer. All up, one of the key benefits of volunteering (I add my own experience here!) is adding purpose to one's life, and/or doing something meaningful or useful. Other benefits include longevity, …show more content…
Helping others, our body releases oxytocin, which buffers stress. Perspective – working with others can help us re-examine and reflect on our own lives. Happiness: According to professor Stephen Post, a part of our brain lights up when we help others, then doles out dopamine and possibly serotonin. Some people feel more serene, others more warm and trusting. Career benefits – if the skills match a person's career, volunteering can boost their resume. A lot of volunteering also entails hidden but valued skills such as leadership, teamwork, and good, empathetic communication. A survey carried out by TimeBank through Reed Executive showed that among 200 of the UK’s leading businesses - 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without, and 94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills. A change of scenery: Variety is important in life, and especially for people doing environmental volunteering (animals, tree planting, restoration, research etc), the break in routine and escape from the city can be very satisfying. Trying new things: as well as working with different types of people, gives the volunteer an opportunity to …show more content…
Women volunteered at a higher rate than men. 35-54 year-olds were the most likely to volunteer. Married and white people also volunteered at high rates. It appears that stability and poverty levels play a role in people's desire or ability to volunteer. The average amount of volunteering was 1 hour per week. Religious organisations were the main places people volunteered, followed by educational and youth services. According to the Charities Aid Foundation, at a global level, in 2014, 2.3 billion people helped a stranger, 1.4 billion donated money, and 1 billion people volunteered. Myanmar was the top country for donating money, and second in time, while the US was the top country for helping a stranger and 5th for volunteers. It's also important to note that most of these benefits come when a person chooses to volunteer and cares a lot about those people they are working with. Feeling exploited or being obliged to do the work detract from any benefits. I would add that the type of work does make a difference, and working with organisations dealing with people who have been through a lot of violence and hardship can be tough – especially when those organizations are struggling – for resource reasons usually – to meet the needs of those they are trying to
Some people volunteer because they have felt the cruel sting that life may have afflicted them or a loved one with. For example someone might volunteer for the American Cancer Society because a family member died of cancer.
Kim, in the United States, grades are not the only factor in evaluating school applicants and job candidates. From Rhodes Scholar selections to college applications, excellence in other areas such as leadership, volunteer activities, sports and arts is equally important (p82-90). In American schools, students are encouraged to do volunteer work. So much so that many schools have guidelines for how much time students are expected to spend serving in the community. Children learn the value of giving from an early age. Volunteer activities is one way Americans feel a part of things and share the goal of serving and contributing to build their communities. From neighborhood watch programs to environmental issues, Americans do not wait for the government to initiate action: they take action to bring about the changes they desire. Therefore, Americans view volunteer work as a way to teach children and young adults values such as cooperation and teamwork, dedication and work ethics, equality and social justice, leadership, generosity and compassion for
What do you love most about being a volunteer? I love the opportunity to inspire and empower women to be great leaders. I love the network of truly remarkable women spanning generations.
Volunteering work enhances my both communication and leadership skills to cope with the situations in the real world. The Surgical Waiting Room experience helped me to grow into a young adult that is responsible, dependable, confident and mature. Community service is rewarding and fulfilling for me. I will continue my commitment to improving the community through my
volunteering is important in the public sector because it helps the public services save money other than the military as the military reservists get paid but it is still voluntary. I got all my information from the websites which are for the organisation. the benefits of volunteering are:
Throughout history, volunteering has evolved into a cultural connection; a common characteristic of humans on a local, national, and global level is the desire to help one another. Although this statement is not necessarily true for every individual, most people feel an urgency to assist friends, family members, coworkers, and/or strangers in need or in crisis. Why should we volunteer? Many people donate their time for varying reasons whether it’s fundraising for disaster relief or collecting, preparing, and serving food for a food bank (Moore). Maybe it’s the warm sensation in your heart after you play a game of chess with a bedridden cancer patient, or the contagious smiles shared between servers and recipients at a soup kitchen that attracts a person to volunteering; in any case, volunteers tend to find the imperfections in the world and work towards improving these flaws through acts of kindness, dedication, and selflessness (Benefits). Helping others without receiving anything in return aids community members, benefits your mind and soul, and, most importantly, “...brings fulfillment and fun to your life,” (Volunteering and Civics).
Volunteering is something you do not for the money, but for self-satisfaction that you helped someone else. Any time someone helps another without being asked they are volunteering. Many people volunteer but inside they really wish they were out having fun, but I volunteer for the look on the child’s face when he/she learns something new.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the year 2015, 62.6 million people volunteered for non-profit agencies throughout the United States ("Statistics," 2016). Although the number of people volunteering time in non-profit agencies seems impressive, in reality, and in accordance with the bureau’s statistics, volunteerism has been steadily declining for the past decade ("Statistics," 2016). Topping the list of reasons for the decline in volunteerism is the stunning fact that the United States, as a nation, allocates very few resources to the non-profit sector for the purposes of volunteer engagement (Baldwin, 2015).
Erma Bombeck once said “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation's compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.” A volunteer is someone who no matter what he or she is passing through life is going to make time for others. There are many places where volunteers are needed, but they mainly belong to foundations, places that are established as a charitable trust where volunteers help without receiving anything in change. Being a volunteer doesn’t mean leaving everything of your life apart and just being at the service of others, it means having the true intention to help! No matter what you have to do or who you have to help. Volunteers must be prepared for everything;
By the same token, volunteering will become less fulfilling, by losing its emotional value. There are two main rea...
Volunteering enables a person to develop new skills that he or she would otherwise not have been able to develop. Unlike most other organizations, a charitable organization is happy to give positions to passionate, though inexperienced, individuals who desire to help others and benefit the community. Therefore, an individual with little experience in a field of work can gain meaningful skills that he or she can use in the future. For example, while I volunteered at the hospital this summer, I learned about the daily work lives and professional duties of doctors and nurses. Had I not volunteered, I would not have learned about these things. I was always interested in the medical field, but volunteering at the hospital let me explore my interests and en...
Volunteering in your local community is great way to give back and set a positive example at the same time. Let’s take a look at some of the problems in our community that affect many people.
A reflection of my volunteering experience can be summarized in two words: Life-changing. It is hard to explain the feelings that occur when you involve yourself in selfless acts for your community, such as volunteering. There is a feeling in your heart that you cannot ignore, maybe it is the happiness you feel or the overflow of emotions in helping others. In other words, it is a feeling in which you want to share with others. Maybe with a friend, maybe a classmate, maybe a family member, or maybe even a stranger. Either way, spreading how life-changing volunteering can be is a great start to making a positive change in your community by simply by involving others.
The amazing thing is, the people that volunteer to help are making a lot of differences. Our society has benefited from the generosity of volunteers of all ages. More than one and a half million non-profit organizations and charities benefiting as a result. The estimated economic value on the volunteering sector is in the area of billions of dollars annually. It has always been, a very important aspect of our society.
Volunteering benefits a person by building connections with peers, improving family life, expanding career skills, overcoming self doubt, having lasting life impressions, and creating new opportunities. Just a small act can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The future is dependent on the individual person and the people they surround themselves with. Just a few hours will change both the volunteer’s life and the one that is in need.