“Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.”
What is volunteering? It’s the act of spending time providing an unpaid service helping people, strengthening your community, and improve others’ quality of life as well as your own.
Did you know that volunteering has been proven to be good for your health!
• Doing good is good for you
• Volunteering can help offset feelings of social isolation
• Volunteers make a difference in their community
• Volunteering helps create a sense of belonging
• Volunteering helps foster social connections
Click here to learn about volunteering opportunities with Home For Life
“Volunteering can also help counter the negative impacts of social isolation.” [Source – Social Wellness]
“Volunteering and helping others can help you 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 others those in need and improve your health and happiness.”
“Helping others kindles happiness, as many studies have demonstrated. When researchers at the London School of Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness in a large group of American adults, they found the more people volunteered, the happier they were, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine. Compared with people who never volunteered, the odds of being “very happy” rose 7% among those who volunteer monthly and 12% for people who volunteer every two to four weeks. Among weekly volunteers, 16% felt very happy.” [Source – Help Guide]
“Volunteering is a great way to help others and yourself. Research has repeatedly shown that working in the service of others enhances physical, mental and emotional well-being.”
“People who routinely help others often experience a “helper’s high” – a euphoric rush that releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers. In addition to this feel-good rush, the health benefits of volunteering include a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes as well as lower cholesterol levels and improved immune functioning.”
“Mental functioning gets a boost from volunteering, too. The brain needs exercise as much as the body, and performing acts of kindness and making new social connections help keep the mind stimulated.” [Source – BC Living]