Participating in community service can help others in need but its also rewarding to the volunteers. When you have free time, I really would like to encourage you to volunteer some of your time to a cause you care about. Volunteering my time and energy is one of the greatest things that I've done for myself.
1. Volunteering benefits you because you can put your volunteer experiences down on resumes.
Applicants who show volunteer work are attractive to employers. It shows that you are willing to put time and energy into doing good things. Volunteer work provides you with more experience of being a team player and being part of an organization.
2. You're saving resources for your community.
Without volunteers, less work gets done and therefore, the beneficiaries of the organization suffer. The more you can help out a homeless shelter, for example, the more the homeless shelter can provide for. Volunteer support keep these kinds of organizations going. Having volunteer employees, rather than paid employees, allows the org. to save that money on other resources.
3. You meet a lot of people.
You have the opportunity to make new friends but more importantly you're building a network. If you do a good job, they may be willing to be a reference for you when you're applying for jobs. Often being a regular volunteer, you will become familiar with the paid staff and they may consider you when they have job opportunities.
4. You're focused on others and it can be physically good for you.
Personally, when I have a lot going on in my personal life, it always does me good to focus on other things and other people. If you're able to help others, you'll feel good about your volunteer work. Studies have shown that volunteer work can help people relieve stress. Even if you're just filing papers, it'll take your mind off of something you're stressed about.
5. It's an excellent environment to for personal growth to thrive.
Volunteering teaches you a lot and with each different place you volunteer for, theres always new things to learn. You'll learn about what your community needs are and you'll be more in touch with the opportunities your community offers. Volunteering helps individuals take on some civic responsibility and give back to the local community.
6. Volunteering with friends is a blast.
I've grown closer to my friends through volunteer work and made awesome memories! Volunteer work is a great opportunity to share your interests with your friends and family and spend time together.
7. Your volunteer work can inspire others!
You may inspire others to volunteer for a cause they care about. Your friends that didn't have an interest in volunteering previously, may reconsider it. When you're doing something that you care about and making a difference, people take notice.
8. Volunteering can help improve social skills.
Volunteering is out of some people's comfort zone and that's okay! Being in a new place with new people can be intimidating. But the more you do it, the better you get. Those who are shy can get better at communication, improve their professional relationship skills, and maybe learn some conflict resolution or problem solving skills.
9. You learn about yourself.
Volunteering can be especially beneficial for students. Through volunteering, you may find out things you're passionate about that you didn't know. You learn about your likes and dislikes involved in being in a different work environment. You find out what you're willing to do for others and what's important to you. Volunteering has personally given me a lot of perspective in life on what I should care about.
10. If you don't like the place you're volunteering, that's okay.
It's better to figure out the kinds of places and management that aren't cohesive to you while you're doing volunteer work rather than paid. Its easy to pick up and move to a different volunteer opportunity if you need to. In every town, there's many different opportunities for how you can donate your time.
