How Everybody Gains
Today, volunteer service opportunities exist to meet almost any person’s skill set and time schedule. When service opportunities are well matched with what the person has to offer, volunteers can experience measurable health and social benefits. This type of fulfillment and reward is not often taken into consideration when thinking aboutvolunteering.
A New Perspective
The Corporation of National and Community Service published a review of recent research onTHE HEALTH BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING. The review found volunteers had lower mortality rates, reported lower rates of depression if over the age of 65, and enjoyed greater senses of self-worth and trust. The review also found many other physical and mental health benefits for volunteers.
Who Volunteers?
According to the BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, only about a quarter of the population aged 16 and older volunteered in 2009. Persons who volunteer are most often Caucasian, female, college educated, and between the ages of 35 and 55. The benefits of volunteering, however, can be experienced by everyone who participates. Young and old alike have great capacity for volunteering.
One factor that may contribute to the low rate of volunteerism might be failure of organizations to clearly identify their needs. Potential volunteers also may not recognize benefits to the giver as well as to the recipients of services, and may have perceptions that volunteerism is less important than paid work.
Finding The Right Volunteer Opportunity
If you are looking for volunteer opportunities, first determine what you have to offer and what motivates you. Try to connect with an organization that you feel excited about. You may want to choose services that use your professional skills, or you may want to do the opposite.
The best volunteer experience happens when both a potential volunteer and the organization have defined what they are looking for.
Volunteer Opportunities For Young People
There strong benefits to be gained by youth from volunteering in our community and through service programs run by schools and other organizations. If you are a young person in high school or college, you not only can gain what you actually learn from the experience, volunteering can also help tell the story of who you are to potential employers.
Older People Can Benefit Too
Another group outside of the usual volunteer demographic are people aged 55 and older. This age group can enjoy the most pronounced health and social benefits from volunteering. In The Health Benefits of Volunteering review, older volunteers reported the greatest increases in life satisfaction and self-reported physical and mental health.
There is a wealth of opportunities for members of this group looking to become more involved in their communities. The Corporation of National and Community Service, which published the research review on volunteerism health benefits, offers a program called SENIOR CORPS. Senior Corps specifically caters to persons over the age of 55 looking for volunteer options. People in this age group looking for tutoring and mentoring opportunities may also consider EXPERIENCE CORPS, a program offered by Civic Ventures. They can also mentor with Goodwill, where approximately 30 percent of youth mentors are over the age of 55.
Peer-To-Peer Volunteering
Peer-to-peer volunteering offers opportunities for people who have faced a specific challenge in their lives, such as abuse, disability, or health issues. One example is matching mentors with youths who have had similar experiences. In The Health Benefits of Volunteering review, people suffering from chronic pain reported reduction in their pain intensity, levels of disability, and depression when they served as peer volunteers for others suffering from chronic pain.
You Receive More Than You Give
Viewing volunteerism from this perspective brings an added incentive beyond the basic altruistic motivation. If more people took these benefits into consideration, perhaps more people would decide to volunteer.
For more information about Volunteer Opportunities with the M&M Area Community Foundation, call 906 864 3599!