Why do young people turn away from volunteering?

Is it because they portray it as a task that takes

too much time and a lot of hard work? Or is it because they do not realise the importance of
volunteering?

The process of volunteering varies in location, skill and the length of the task. So helping your
community garden for two hours a week, or talking to an elderly person on the phone for 20
minutes a day are equally valuable ways of volunteering.

How do you benefit from volunteering?

Volunteering is a way to gain a lot of skills that can be transferred into a workplace. These skills
include; confidence, communication, responsibility, teamwork and innovation. Becoming a
volunteer will also provide you with experience which is great for personal gain, but it will also be a
good addition to your CV as it will help you to stand out, as it has allowed you to network and meet
new people and more opportunities.

Most importantly, from the process of volunteering, young people will gain a sense of personal
satisfaction gained by assisting another person which will enhance their social awareness.

How does volunteering help your community?

By becoming a volunteer in your community you can make a change by letting your voice be heard
within society, allowing you to express your thoughts and opinions on certain issues that have
occurred that you have previously not been given a say in. This could inspire more events or
services that could gradually assist more people.

Volunteers also have an enormous impact on the health and well-being of communities worldwide,
which allows society to thrive due to the assistance of young volunteers. From volunteering the
community will also gain a generation of young people who care about where they live and are
willing to make a commitment to improve society.

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Young people should do volunteer work while studying, 7 reasons why

Volunteering while at university could put you ahead of the

game after graduation

Corbis

It’s always surprising how many students simply don’t get involved with their union or their
university, simply because they won’t get paid to do something. If you’re thinking, ‘What’s in it for
me?’, then you’re in the right place. Money isn’t the only reason you should be getting out there, so
here are some reasons why you should get into volunteering while you’re studying:

1) To enrich your degree

University is by no means just academia, especially if you have few contact hours. So, if you have
more time in the week to work on your degree, socialise, or to get involved with societies, then why
not volunteer? Many societies have plenty of such opportunities on offer - it’s definitely one of the
best ways to get the most out of your university experience.

2) To gain invaluable work experience

Employers love to see volunteering on your resume and it doesn’t have to be a chore. A lot of
volunteering opportunities that are there for you as a student allow you to develop the skills you
need for a job out in the ‘real world’ without having to get grilled in an interview first.

3) It makes you feel good

Volunteering is often enormously valuable for the local community and, of course, the university.
So, by doing so, you are helping without asking for anything in return - if there is such a thing as
altruism. Despite the other benefits listed, the people you are helping will be hugely grateful. You
are lifting the burden of others and, ultimately, proving that you care.

4) It’s a powerful networking tool

Through volunteering, you are taking a step forward and opening yourself up to people who are on
the lookout for candidates for jobs or other opportunities. You’ll meet people who can help you in
the future and, chances are, they’ll be willing since you’ve taken the time to volunteer. Other
volunteers will, no doubt, also be successful in the future and may be able to give you a hand.
Contacts are useful - you never know when you might need them.

5) It give you sense of purpose

Often, students can feel a bit ‘lost’ at university which isn’t good for your mental health. Therefore,
volunteering fills your time and gives you a sense of purpose. Not only will you enjoy your time
and make lots of friends, but you’ll be giving something and feel all warm and fuzzy inside because
of it.

6) You’re making a difference

Too many students complain about their union or university without doing anything about it. By
volunteering, your are making the decisions and doing what you can in order to improve the
environment around you. If you think you can do better, why not give it a go?

7) To find opportunities you never knew existed

By putting yourself out there and grabbing one opportunity, your open yourself up to so much
more. As a volunteer, you gain the skills that entitle you to do more. You may even become so
skilled at what you volunteer for, that someone might be willing to pay you to do it; you might even
get opportunities to travel, apply to jobs you couldn’t before, and meet some amazing people along
the way. The possibilities are endless.

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Volunteer work provides an organization with a free resource to help it meet its mission or goals,
which often include filling the gap between an individual or community’s resources and those
provided by the government. In many cases, volunteers are crucial to help maintain life, as when
meals are delivered to homebound people. Sometimes volunteer work, such as renovating a
playground, benefits the broader community. And while volunteer work is important for the
individuals and communities served, it also benefits the volunteer.

Types

Volunteer work comes in all shapes and sizes. Large organizations such as Habitat for Humanity
provide an important service in communities around the world. Habitat builds decent, affordable
homes for low-income families; as more people volunteer, more homes can be built. On a smaller
scale, local organizations play an important role by building safe play areas or raising funds to
provide music lessons for low-income children.

Misconceptions

Many people believe volunteering will consume their free time. But according to a July 2009 article
published by National Public Radio, micro-volunteering lets people volunteer in small bits of time,
usually through their computer or cell phone. Micro volunteers play an important role by arranging
car service for someone’s doctor visit, or by volunteering to judge entries in an essay contest. Each
action can be accomplished in a small amount of time, but has a big effect in combination with the
efforts of other volunteers.

Locations

You can do volunteer work from your home, in your neighborhood or in almost any setting around
the world. This flexibility makes it easy to find projects that are convenient and suit your life goals.
Volunteer from home and develop your knitting skills to make caps for premature babies. Or build
your professional and personal skills in locations far from home with volunteer groups like the
Peace Corps that work exclusively overseas.

Benefits

Volunteer work is important for your health. The Corporation for National and Community Service
says that 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.

Volunteer work is also an important part of your resume. A history of volunteering demonstrates
your commitment to the community and a willingness to work for the betterment of others. Many
businesses have their own volunteer program, or support local programs. Employees who volunteer
build a positive reputation for their business in the community’s eyes.

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Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits
Volunteering can help you make friends, learn new skills, advance your career, and even
feel happier and healthier. Learn how to find the right fit.

Why volunteer?

With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering can
be enormous. Volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the
community, but the benefits can be even greater for you, the volunteer. The right match can help
you to find friends, connect with the community, learn new skills, and even advance your career.

Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, combat
depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose. While it’s true that the
more you volunteer, the more benefits you’ll experience, volunteering doesn’t have to involve a
long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day. Giving in even simple
ways can help those in need and improve your health and happiness.

Benefits of volunteering: 4 ways to feel healthier and happier

1. Volunteering connects you to others

2. Volunteering is good for your mind and body
3. Volunteering can advance your career
4. Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life

Benefit 1: Volunteering connects you to others

One of the more well-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Volunteering
allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the
smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need.
And volunteering is a two-way street: It can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you
choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your
network, and boost your social skills.

Make new friends and contacts

One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to commit to a
shared activity together. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new
to an area. It strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, exposing
you to people with common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and fulfilling activities.

Increase your social and relationship skills

While some people are naturally outgoing, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people.
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are
meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests. Once you have momentum, it’s
easier to branch out and make more friends and contacts.
Volunteering as a family

Children watch everything you do. By giving back to the community, you’ll show them firsthand
how volunteering makes a difference and how good it feels to help other people and animals and
enact change. It’s also a valuable way for you to get to know organizations in the community and
find resources and activities for your children and family.

Benefit 2: Volunteering is good for your mind and body

Volunteering provides many benefits to both mental and physical health.

Volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety. The social contact aspect
of helping and working with others can have a profound effect on your overall psychological well-
being. Nothing relieves stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with
pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety.

Volunteering combats depression. Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and
helps you develop a solid support system, which in turn protects you against depression.

Volunteering makes you happy. By measuring hormones and brain activity, researchers have
discovered that being helpful to others delivers immense pleasure. Human beings are hard-wired to
give to others. The more we give, the happier we feel.

Volunteering increases self-confidence. You are doing good for others and the community, which
provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of
pride and identity. And the better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive
view of your life and future goals.

Volunteering provides a sense of purpose. Older adults, especially those who have retired or lost
a spouse, can find new meaning and direction in their lives by helping others. Whatever your age or
life situation, volunteering can help take your mind off your own worries, keep you mentally
stimulated, and add more zest to your life.

Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. Studies have found that those who volunteer
have a lower mortality rate than those who do not. Older volunteers tend to walk more, find it easier
to cope with everyday tasks, are less likely to develop high blood pressure, and have better thinking
skills. Volunteering can also lessen symptoms of chronic pain and reduce the risk of heart disease.

I have limited mobility—can I still volunteer?

People with disabilities or chronic health conditions can still benefit greatly from volunteering. In
fact, research has shown that adults with disabilities or health conditions ranging from hearing and
vision loss to heart disease, diabetes or digestive disorders all show improvement after volunteering.

Whether due to a disability, a lack of transportation, or time constraints, many people choose to
volunteer their time via phone or computer. In today’s digital age, many organizations need help
with writing, graphic design, email, and other web-based tasks. Some organizations may require
you to attend an initial training session or periodical meetings while others can be conducted
completely remotely. In any volunteer situation, make sure that you are getting enough social
contact, and that the organization is available to support you should you have questions.
Benefit 3: Volunteering can advance your career

If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest
and meet people in the field. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives
you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork,
communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization. You might
feel more comfortable stretching your wings at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer
position first.

Teaching you valuable job skills

Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are basic. Many
volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. For example, you could become an
experienced crisis counselor while volunteering for a women’s shelter or a knowledgeable art
historian while donating your time as a museum docent.

Volunteering can also help you build upon skills you already have and use them to benefit the
greater community. For instance, if you hold a successful sales position, you can raise awareness for
your favorite cause as a volunteer advocate, while further developing and improving your public
speaking, communication, and marketing skills.

Gaining career experience

Volunteering offers you the chance to try out a new career without making a long-term
commitment. It is also a great way to gain experience in a new field. In some fields, you can
volunteer directly at an organization that does the kind of work you’re interested in. For example, if
you’re interested in nursing, you could volunteer at a hospital or a nursing home.

Your volunteer work might also expose you to professional organizations or internships that could
benefit your career.

When it comes to volunteering, passion and positivity are the only requirements

While learning new skills can be beneficial to many, it’s not a requirement for a fulfilling volunteer
experience. Bear in mind that the most valuable assets you can bring to any volunteer effort are
compassion, an open mind, a willingness to pitch in wherever needed, and a positive attitude.

Benefit 4: Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life

Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work
you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day
routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed
creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.

Many people volunteer in order to make time for hobbies outside of work as well. For instance, if
you have a desk job and long to spend time outdoors, you might consider volunteering to help plant
a community garden, walk dogs for an animal shelter, or help out at a children’s camp.

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1. Gaining New Experiences and Insights

Volunteering allows students to get involved with new things and develop technical, social, and
academic skills that couldn’t be learned in a classroom environment. Whether you’re helping out at
your local library or tutoring underprivileged kids, volunteering allows you to experience different
environments and situations.

I know that a lot of us, as competitive, college-obsessed, sleep-deprived students, get lost in the
quantity of volunteer work, but it’s crucial to take a step back from the number games. Instead of
boasting about how many hours you’ve piled up, why not talk about the things you’ve done?
Volunteering brings out new interests, hobbies, and opinions; moreover, volunteering expands
students’ horizons. As Ashley, a rising senior, who volunteers with numerous organizations and
clubs, puts it, “If your volunteering experiences can give you something to write or think about for
your college essays, then I say it’s done something good for you as a person, and it’ll help you
overall in your college admissions process…it should mean something to you!”

2. Giving Back and Helping Others

Admit it: you’re pretty lucky. You’re working your way through your high school education with
intentions to move on to post-secondary education. You assumedly have a roof over your head,
food to eat, and clothes to wear. Even if you don’t have the “best” of those, you’ve got them.
Volunteers create better environments for others; they create healthier communities, and they
brighten lives. Jill, another rising senior, has been playing the piano for more than a decade and the
flute for seven. She volunteers by performing in concerts for senior citizens. “We always talk with
them after our concerts, and their stories are very humbling. They make me realize that I’m actually
very lucky to know how to read and play music. They always tell us how great we sound and how
they wish that they spent the time in their youth to learn an instrument.” As a volunteer, she’s been
able to give back to the community that fostered her musical talents.

3. Creating Connections with People

No matter the age, building relationships with people is crucial. Not only does the volunteer work
you do as a student show who you are as a person, but it reflects many positive character traits that
potential employers and admissions officers want to see. Volunteering allows you to meet a wide
variety of people from all sorts of walks of life.

Networking is an amazing benefit of volunteering, and students learn professional skills and have
access to a breadth of knowledge from their co-volunteers. Jasmine, a fellow rising senior,
volunteers at her local free clinic, where she’s the assistant administrative coordinator. “Some of the
doctors and volunteers there have become my mentors, letting me shadow them or giving me
general life advice about interacting with people and education. Interacting with new types of
people, though extremely difficult, has developed my people skills.” Through her volunteer work,
she’s not only become an integral part of the clinic itself, but she’s gained a lot of valuable insights,
skills, and experiences.

4. A Sense of Accomplishment
Volunteering isn’t one of the most plush, easy, or glamorous of jobs, but it is one of the most
beneficial and uplifting. While no monetary compensation is received, many will tell you that their
work and experiences gained as a volunteer were worth way more than any money they could have
gotten from another line of work.

Think of it like this: volunteering is done on a person’s own accord. It’s taking some time out of
your day and helping others. Volunteer work makes us feel good. It builds self-confidence and lifts
up the spirits. As Jill puts it, “students these days are getting caught up in the number of hours they
store up doing something that they don’t care about, and not only is the meaning behind the actions
lost, but the charity becomes a chore. So yes, do it, but do what you want to do and because you
want to do it.” That couldn’t be truer. It’s crucial to have a strong connection to your volunteer
work. Basically, you get out of it what you put into it.

5. Building Career Options

Charity work gives students opportunities to test out a desired career path. Concurrently, it gives
them an edge on their resume. Getting involved with an organization that shares similar ideals and
interests is an important step for students. At a young and pretty inexperienced age, volunteering is
an excellent gateway to the workforce.

By gaining new experiences and creating new connections, volunteers are able to better visualize
themselves in that field and explore the daunting question: can I see myself doing this for life? And,
even if the organization you do get involved with has nothing to do with your intended career path,
it might end up surprising you. While I wasn’t such a fan of my early high school summers of
volunteering, I was still able to make the most out of my situation by learning how to problem
solve, work more efficiently, and deal with unwanted environments. Even though I know that I
don’t want to follow a similar career path, I strengthened a lot of skills necessary for my own future
career. So, take a chance by getting outside of the beloved comfort zone through volunteer work.

6. The Dreaded College Admissions Process

As if I would end this article without going back to this hot mess. Unfortunately for us, we live in a
pretty competitive world. College admissions has become much more than GPAs, test scores, and
letters of recommendations. You, as a highly motivated and worried college-bound student, already
know that. Volunteering, while it won’t raise your GPA or add 20 points to your SAT score, will
give you a plethora of other things, like experiences, connections, and most importantly, a voice.

So, get out there and get involved. Stop stressing about the number of hours, and start having fun.
Yes, volunteering can be fun. Don’t worry; I was surprised too. Remember: volunteer work is
meant to be more than what most make it out to be. Your high school years are stressful. Don’t let
something as constructive and vital slip through the cracks!