The Value of Volunteerism
With Martin Luther King Day coming up on Monday, January 15th it feels important to circle back to the positive connections between volunteerism and health. We’ve already shared two Wellness Wednesday posts on this topic, which we would love for you to review. You can enjoy them using these links:
Blog Post 1: Volunteers: Heroes Among Us
A highlight from this post beautifully summarizes one of the many perks of volunteering:
Research has explored the correlation between volunteering and benefits on mental health. In an article by Elizabeth Hopper titled, How Volunteering Can Help Your Mental Health: According to new research, people become happier over time after they start volunteering.:
“In a study published this year in the Journal of Happiness Studies, researchers examined data from nearly 70,000 research participants in the United Kingdom, who received surveys about their volunteering habits and their mental health, including their distress and functioning in everyday life, every two years from 1996 to 2014.
Compared to people who didn’t volunteer, people who had volunteered in the past year were more satisfied with their lives and rated their overall health as better. Additionally, the researchers found that people who volunteered more frequently experienced greater benefits: Those who volunteered at least once a month reported better mental health than participants who volunteered infrequently or not at all.” (Hopper, Elizabeth)
You can read more about the physical and professional benefits of volunteering from this article by Mayo Clinic Health.
Blog Post 2: Volunteer Appreciation: Appreciating Volunteers and the Healthy Privilege of Volunteering
What putting these posts together has showed is that volunteering offers many health benefits: physical, mental/emotional, social and professional. Not only does volunteering benefit the person receiving support, volunteering benefits you, the volunteer! It’s a win-win for you and the community!
If you’re concerned about how your schedule might impact volunteering, or how your skill set can best be utilized, the upcoming MLK volunteer potluck is an opportunity to talk with volunteers and organizations to find what feels like a great fit. There are so many ways to be helpful! Many available volunteer opportunities are flexible. We’re all in this together!
Let us know you’ll join the conversation.
More information below.
Worked Cited:
Every Wednesday, CommunityCare of Lyme lifts up a wellness topic, embracing the widest possible definition of individual and community well-being. We include local and national resources, individual and group programs and practices, and personal stories, videos, or songs that have something to teach us all. We are always seeking guest contributors!
If you have a wellness-themed topic you would like to share or learn more about, please reach out to shelby@cclyme.org
Shelby Wood
Manager of Volunteer Participation
CommunityCare of Lyme
Shelby@cclyme.org
802-468-7776 (cell)
603-795-0603 (CCL office and help line)
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