Volunteering has many benefits! The action offers a great chance to become involved in your community, increase your skills, and improve your health.
Building Community
Perhaps the main advantage of volunteering is giving back to your community. Through volunteering, you use your skills to help others and make you community a better place. You’ll also be spending time with like-minded individuals who are just as passionate about supporting others as you are! This opens up the door to life-long friendships. Having a community helps combat loneliness and anxiety, which fosters emotional stability.
Boosts Self Esteem
Volunteering helps improve self-esteem, especially in teens and young adults. They often struggle with self-doubt and lack of confidence, and not understand their self-worth. Working towards a cause that you’re excited about helps you feel like you’re part of something bigger and have a unique set of skills to offer.
Builds Your Skill Set
Volunteering improves your interpersonal and professional skills. Not only can you contribute the skills you already have, but you often have to learn new things in order to complete necessary tasks. You may need to improve your computer or writing skills. When you volunteer, you have to learn skills that you wouldn’t elsewhere. You may learn something new that you never would have imagined. This helps build flexibility, which is a highly sought after trait in many professional environments!
More Career Opportunities
Because volunteering helps build your skill set, it’s a great asset to your resume. It also shows employees that you’re civically minded and believe in the importance of community. Volunteering displays that you’re experienced with teamwork, problem-solving, and being flexible! The vast majority of employers look favorably on candidates who have volunteer experience.
Improves Physical Health
One of the lesser known benefits of volunteering is an improvement in your physical health. Volunteering normally requires you to be active, whether it’s handing out pamphlets or moving boxes of supplies. Volunteers normally lead longer lives and are less prone to diseases. People who volunteer are also at a lower risk for dementia.
Volunteering doesn’t end at helping others. You’ll also be able to improve yourself by creating a network of support, boosting your career opportunities, and improving your health! Why not check your local listings and apply to be a volunteer today?
Originally published on RalphByer.net