The Benefits of Volunteering

Author

Healthcare Network Southwest Florida

Posted on

Jul 21, 2022

Book/Edition

Florida - Southwest

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The

Benefits of Volunteering

You might not remember how you spent some of your time

last week. But if you have ever donated or invested time volunteering or

supporting a cause dear to you, you probably remember that experience well,

especially how helping others made you feel. There is a pretty good chance you

still feel proud of how you spent that time.

Why? Studies have shown helping others makes us feel

fulfilled and happy. And in the process, enables us to learn new skills, gain

valuable experience and cultivate strong professional and personal

relationships. Here are a few of the benefits:   

Volunteering is good for physical and

mental health: Volunteering keeps your body active; this

is especially important for retired individuals. Research shows that seniors

who volunteer report better physical health and lower levels of depression and

anxiety when compared to seniors who do not volunteer.

Volunteering helps you make connections:

By volunteering, you can meet like-minded people, and most likely they will be

exceptional people, who care about others and value spending their time in a

meaningful way to serve populations in need. Forming these connections can result

in lifelong friendships.

Volunteering can teach you valuable job skills:

If you want to learn or refine some skills, you can easily acquire them by

volunteering. Volunteer opportunities are available in a variety of different

fields. Many websites such as Volunteer Match specialize in matching you with

the right volunteer opportunities and allow you to refine your search so you

can look for specific openings that will help you build your resume with the

skills you need.

Volunteering can help you become a leader:

Volunteering

provides an excellent opportunity to grow and hone your leadership skills. For

instance, many organizations are looking for committed, mission-focused

individuals to serve on their boards and committees, while others need help

developing programs or events. Regardless, these experiences will help you

build and expand on your leadership skills.

Volunteering can help you find a job: If

you are looking for a job, volunteering can help you network, demonstrate your

skills, help you gain knowledge and unlock opportunities.

Volunteering can make you happy: Something

happens in our brain when we help others, we feel a sense of fulfillment and

accomplishment. Research tells us that volunteering, simply put, makes us happy

and connected to our community.

Volunteering can teach you about an

industry: If you are curious about an industry, and you

want to learn more about it, you can jump right into action and gain experience

by volunteering in that field. This is an easy way to see if a career in that

industry is right for you.

Volunteering is fun: Yes,

volunteering can be really fun! Find a team where you fit in, enjoy the

interactions with your team as you plan and organize activities together, build

camaraderie and eventually, the natural bonding that makes every volunteering

experience special will kick in.

Volunteering creates a more resilient

community: If you care about the community where you

live (think of your neighborhood, county, state, nation or the world), ask

yourself for a minute, what if each of us shared just a bit of our time and

skills to make our community better? Would we not all reap the benefit from a

stronger and healthier community?

Now, if you are asking yourself how you can get all the

benefits of volunteering, try it out yourself! With onsite and offsite

opportunities, Healthcare Network is an excellent place to start your next

volunteering journey. Healthcare Network is a medical and dental home to

approximately 50,000 patients annually. Primary care services include adult and

senior care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and pharmacy as well as

dental care and integrated behavioral health for both adults and children. At

Healthcare Network, no one is denied care based on income or insurance status. Apply

at healthcareswfl.org/volunteers or send an email to [email protected].

 

About the Author

Antonello Castaldi is the volunteer program manager for Healthcare Network, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring quality healthcare is accessible to everyone in our community. Celebrating 45 years of care, Healthcare Network has locations throughout Collier County. For more information, please call 239-658-3000 or visit HealthcareSWFL.org.

The Benefits of Volunteering

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