What Does It Mean to Volunteer?

Have you even given any thought to volunteering for a non-profit organization? There are many opportunities to do this in any community. 

What is volunteering? It’s the practice of providing time and skills for the benefit of other people and causes, rather than financial benefit. 

People choose to volunteer for a variety of reasons. These could include wanting to give back to the community, make a difference to people around you, develop new skills and build on your existing experience and knowledge. 

With busy lives it can be hard to find the time to volunteer. However, the benefits to volunteering can be enormous to you and your community. 

Volunteer work is important to your health. The Corporation for National and Community Service says “volunteering improves psychological and physical health. Volunteers reap the benefits of feeling a personal sense of accomplishment while building social networks that, in turn, support them in times of stress.”

Some of the personal benefits you could experience from volunteering include:

1. Growth – see change and growth in yourself. 

2. Enrichment – there’s nothing more fulfilling than realizing the impact you’ve made helping others. 

3. Learning – volunteer opportunities allow you to try new activities and learn new skills. 

4. Make new friendships – volunteering can open doors you didn’t know were there. 

Being a volunteer can give you the opportunity to try something new, gain experience, develop skills, improve career prospects, build confidence and meet new people. Taking on the challenge of volunteering allows you to get involved in something new, and to potentially see things differently through someone else’s eyes. 

– Deb Barlament, Executive Vice President of Operations