Virtual Volunteering - Making a difference!

“When you become detached mentally from yourself and concentrate on helping other people with their difficulties, you will be able to cope with your own more effectively. Somehow, the act of self-giving is a personal power-releasing factor.”– Norman Vincent Peale

Humans are, by nature, helpful beings. Serving others can bring an immense amount of happiness and satisfaction in our own lives. Volunteering for good causes is soul-soothing. Whether it is serving soup at a local kitchen on weekends or distributing blankets to the homeless in winters, teaching at a community school, or making a donation to your favorite charity, everyone finds a way to give back to the society and express their gratitude for the blessings in life. Being able to support and comfort those who cannot return a favor can help us find meaning and purpose in our own life. 

However, in today’s fast-paced and busy life, physical volunteering is a challenge. Traveling to a particular place or getting a group together to volunteer for an event requires pre-planning and advance scheduling, making it difficult to stay committed to the cause. Add to it situations like the lockdown because of COVID or natural calamities like earthquakes and tornados. At such times, the frontline volunteers and social workers need to be onsite. The medical team and those supplying relief material need a lot of support and coordination to be done in the backend. Collating the data, coordinating the transport of essential supplies, fundraisers for arranging capital, and so much more needs to be done to ensure smooth functioning for the volunteers who are on the ground. 

Besides these, there are schools which are unable to function because they do not have resources to set up online classes, factories in remote areas looking for contactless attendance system, specially challenged kids who just want someone to read them a bedtime story or an NGO looking to market hand stitched masks made by women in the village. This is where virtual volunteering comes into the picture. You can be sitting anywhere in the world and still be able to help someone in another corner of the planet. This can be done on your phone, a laptop, or a tablet and a stable internet connection. Utilize your skills and passion to support a noble cause. You can spend as much time as you want or as little as you can. All you need is a little motivation and devotion. 

Volunteering promotes mental wellbeing

We are all in a race for survival. Working round the clock barely leaves us with any time for ourselves, and whatever personal time we get, we end up browsing on social media or flip television channels aimlessly. With a sedentary lifestyle comes unhealthy food habits and all this can take a toll on the physical and mental wellbeing of a person. Restriction to move out of home in COVID times and work from home to ensure social distancing norms have further reduced social interactions leading to extra stress. While we can always exercise for our physical well being, we need to ensure our mental wellbeing. Volunteering can take your mind off the routine and help you feel refreshed. When doing it as a part of a team, you are expanding your social circle and interacting with like-minded people. You can learn new skills, and when you see that your time contribution can bring happiness for someone, it makes you feel positive and motivates you to contribute more. Trust me – once you start volunteering, you will be addicted to it. The happiness you get by helping others is truly genuine and heart-warming.  

Volunteering as a part of corporate social responsibility

Many organizations have actively taken up volunteering as a part of corporate social responsibility. They offer paid time to their staff to volunteer. In fact, they also tie-up with NGOs and organizations that offer opportunities for virtual volunteering. By being a part of a social cause, the organization creates a positive brand image and helps build a better society and a better work culture. Special teams are formed to groom the employees for CSR activities, keeps them involved and motivated. Any organization with a strong connection with society fares well in the long run. 

Volunteer without stepping out of your home

Virtual volunteering offers you an opportunity to do good from the comfort of your home. You can pick work that suits your skill set and passion. Record audiobooks, counsel a student, check codes or offer online assistance to someone who is preparing for exams and cannot afford tuitions. If you are good at languages, you can help with translation. If you are social media savvy, help increase the reach of causes that need attention. There are so many ways in which you can contribute your time to society. All you need to do is find the right option and opportunity.

Goodera – Your virtual volunteering guide

Goodera opens up a vast number of options when it comes to virtual volunteering for individuals and corporates. You can choose what you are comfortable with and continue to add value and smiles in the life of someone. 

Get in touch today with your company’s CSR team to become a virtual volunteer on platforms like Goodera to make a difference!

Author(s)

  • Abhishek

    Founder, CEO

    Goodera

    Abhishek is the founder and CEO of Goodera, a CSR, volunteering and sustainability management platform used globally by corporations, foundations, governments, non-profits and employees to fulfill their philanthropic goals. Abhishek has been part of Forbes 30 under 30, MIT Innovators under 35 and is a leader in the evolution of responsible and sustainable business. Humbad holds a B.E. in Engineering from BITS Pilani and received his MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore