Volunteering, in essence, is the act of benefitting your society and community by giving back. You may be wondering, why would someone spend their free time doing something they do not get paid for? This blog will try and answer that question while emphasizing some of the benefits of volunteering!
Networking
One major benefit of volunteering is meeting new people! You can connect with other students, volunteer supervisors or leaders. By making these connections, you can connect with others who have similar interests, and can benefit from having information on upcoming events from organizers they are affiliated with! By networking, you can also improve your interpersonal skills, which is a great skill to have both for work and your personal life.
Physical Health
Volunteering tends to involve some physical activity, such as planting trees, delivering pamphlets, picking up trash, sports coaching, or even going on walks to fundraise. Volunteering promotes physical exercise, which in turn aids the physical health of the volunteers. A study from the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has linked volunteers who are physically active with a lower mortality rate than non-volunteers. They also have other physical benefits such as being at a lower risk for high blood pressure, which is known to cause health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
Mental Health
Volunteering can also help improve one’s mental health! For some individuals, being with others or going outside counteracts the effects of stress, depression, and anxiety. Mental and physical health are known to affect each other, so benefiting one’s mental health will also benefit their physical health, and vice versa. An interesting effect of volunteering comes from a theory known as the “helper’s high,” or “the happiness effect” where the brain rewards people for helping each other because of our human nature to be social. A study from the Journal of Happiness Studies has shown that people who volunteer tend to be happier than people who don’t. Volunteering also helps to provide a sense of self satisfaction in helping others and the community as a whole. Feeling positive and good about oneself gives the volunteer a more positive view on their life and their goals.
Experience
This one is very valuable, especially for students in high school or post-secondary education. Having experience from volunteering shows future employers that they have important character traits such as initiative and a willingness to help. Volunteering creates opportunities to gain experience in an area they are interested in before committing to a job in that field. Aside from looking pretty on a resume, volunteering also teaches you important skills you can apply to your job; ranging from specialized skills from working at places such as hospitals or crisis centres, or transferable skills such as communication, public speaking, and leadership.
Closing
As you can tell, there is a lot you can gain from volunteering, and just because you do not get paid for it, does not mean you should not at least consider it! Try reaching out to local organizations, checking your city's volunteering website, or even asking your school’s guidance department for help!
Edited by Ally Chan.
Devin is a grade 12 student from Milliken Mills High School in Ontario. He loves being able to help others and make them laugh! Devin hopes that this blog was able to help you!