The Benefits of Volunteering

As the season of gratitude and giving approaches, I’d like to take a moment to share my thoughts on volunteering, and why it’s so important.

As an adult human, I have always felt a call to be of service in my community. Maybe it has something to do with not having much growing up, or maybe it’s because I feel like I owe a debt for everything I’ve done and everything I’ve received in this lifetime; I don’t know. What I’ve come to realize, after many years of volunteering, is that I reap so many wonderful benefits from sharing my time, energy, and experience with others.

You may perceive the act of giving as being a one way street, with you providing a service or resource seemingly free of compensation. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality of the situation is that you receive far more than you give. Your efforts go into not only enriching your environment, but your mind, body, and spirit. Volunteering helps you grow your personal and professional network. It contributes to the improvement and functionality of the resources within your general area, it builds character and cooperation skills, allows you to engage in activities you wouldn’t otherwise have access to, helps develop interpersonal relationships, instills a sense of purpose in your life, and so on. There are so many selfish reasons to volunteer your time.

From a selfless standpoint, volunteering puts your money where your mouth is. It is the epitome of walking the talk. We often like to proclaim our virtues and make statements of support for those less fortunate in our community, but volunteering provides a platform from which you can take action from those words and contribute something meaningful to your surroundings. There is an almost infinite list of organizations and opportunities that afford you the ability to contribute. If you feel like you can’t find anything that resonates with you, come find me. I’m the older guy with the SNOG hat and funky sunglasses you see walking around campus. I will help you find something that speaks to and for you.

I would like to encourage you to volunteer this holiday season, and try to make some time in the coming year to be of service whenever you can. I promise you that your efforts will have a positive impact, not only the lives of others, but in your own life as well.