10 Reasons to Volunteer

When we first moved to our little city my husband decided to volunteer to be on the fire department.  He has loved the benefits he has received from this volunteer work as a firefighter.  Since volunteering he has also received him EMT and has loved that training.  When I find time I also love to volunteer in our community.  Most recently I put together the community arts display for the county fair.  My friend helped me and we had a great time.  There are so many reasons to volunteer in our communities. I’m excited to share this guest post from Andy Anderson about 10 Reasons to Volunteer in your Community!  

 

10 Reasons to Volunteer – by Andy Andersen

Been awhile since you did any volunteer work or community service? If so, you’re in good company. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that volunteer work among U.S. citizens is at an all-time low. While there are a great many possible explanations for our lackluster desire to serve, there are even more reasons to get out in your community and serve. Here are 10 reasons to volunteer and put some life back into your community:

1. Sacrifice Brings Happiness
Over the last couple decades, countless studies have attempted to get to the route of human happiness. Many of these studies share a common conclusion: that sacrifice and selfless acts are at the core of an individual’s capacity for joy. If you find yourself less happy than you used to be, get involved in a community service project or volunteer where you might be needed. Sacrificing your time and energy to do so just might make you happier.

2. Volunteer Work Looks Good on a Resume
The job market is more competitive than ever; making it harder and harder to stand out among other candidates. Having a solid amount of volunteer work on your resume will set you apart instantly in more ways than one. Not only will it show prospective employers that you are hardworking and self motivated, it will also show them that you can successfully network and lead a community of peers.

3. A Sense of Purpose
No matter how much you have going on in your life, sometimes it’s hard to feel that any of it has any meaning. Whether you feel your life has become cluttered and hollow, or there just isn’t enough going on to keep you occupied, volunteer work will make you feel like you’re rising above the banality of life and doing something that really matters.

4. A Stronger Recovery From Addiction
Service can be a lifesaver for a recovering addict. According to a recent addiction recovery blog, services-oriented rehabilitation helps addicts get through the self-centered early stages of addiction recovery by drawing the addict’s attention to others, creating new interests and passions, and preparing the addict for work in post-recovery life.

5. Volunteer Work Saves Resources
In addition to its interpersonal benefits, volunteer work saves resources by providing a variety of economic and environmental advantages. There are a great many ways that volunteer work makes a practical, tangible difference in daily life; from green work like cleaning up neighborhoods, parks and rivers to volunteer firefighting and disaster response. Find the right volunteer program and you’ll be helping to preserve our world’s precious and dwindling resources.

6. Broaden Your Mind
Volunteer work exposes people to problems and social issues that they might never have been made aware of otherwise. When you volunteer, you are educating yourself on what’s going on in the world around you, and hopefully learning how to help more capably.

7. Bridge Cultural and Societal Gaps
The more you learn about a culture or pocket of society other than your own, the closer you come to bridging the gaps that our societal differences create. Volunteer work can be incredibly effective in breaking down barriers between individuals from different walks of life, whether it’s those you serve or the people you are serving with.

8. Discover New Passions or Interests
There are millions of people out there who have made major career or lifestyle changes as a result of their time volunteering. As you search for a cause to join or project to volunteer for, you may discover passions or interests you didn’t know you had.

9. Build a Positive Circle of Friends
If you find yourself in a peer group that has proven destructive to your life, volunteer work may be the best way to find a more positive circle of friends and confidants. When you serve with others, you build friendships based on selflessness and civic unity. Volunteer today and build positive friendships grounded in serving a higher purpose.

10. Be More Aware of Civic Responsibility
Part of the reason volunteer work continues to drop in the U.S. is because we have collectively lost a sense of responsibility to our communities. Selflessly serve the people of your community and you’ll reclaim the sense of civic responsibility necessary to sustain all the things that create a healthy, thriving world.

Thanks Andy for sharing all of these great reasons to volunteer.  It’s not always easy to find time in our busy lives, but there are great benefits from volunteering in our communities!

Right now I am getting ready for the Jimmy Fund Walk and would love some more donations. Click on the picture below to read more about it! I only need to reach $64 more dollars and a company will donate the last $200!