Lately, I have been having a hard time coming up with captions for diaper bank pictures for our social media pages; and other ways to make Giving Tuesday posts. As I was looking through diaper bank pictures for inspiration, I noticed there were lots of pictures of my volunteers and I in action. So, I decided to look up the meaning of “volunteer” (maybe that would give me some inspiration).

According to Merriam-Webster
Volunteer: a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service: such as one who renders a service or takes part in a transaction while having no legal concern or interest.

Not that I didn’t already know what volunteer ment, it’s good to have a refresher on word meanings. Now that that’s done, the benefits of volunteering came to mind…so another search began. I came across several sites that offered an indepth look at volunteering and its benefits.

A common topic that I noticed in my search was the benefits that volunteering has on a person’s mind. Volunteering can have a great impact on one’s mental & emotional well-being. We all know that our mental and physical health work together for us to function. One tends to not works as well without the other.

Another similar topic I saw was that volunteering can help your career. By volunteering you can gain new experiences/skills; which could benefit you in your current position or help you build your resume for future endeavors. Learning new skills can be valuable to both you and those on the receiving end of your services.

Not only does volunteering have mental and career benefits, it also helps to build connections with others. Volunteering can be done with friends and family, thus increasing the bond you have. It can connect you to other like minded people who share similar interests, which can also have an impact on your career.

Volunteering, like diaper need, has an impact that ripples out to those around.

To read more on the benefits of volunteering check out the lists below. Click the link to read each organization’s take on volunteering.

In an article by “Benefits of Community Service” Western Connecticut State University, they listed four benefits of volunteering.
1. Volunteering connects you to others
2. Volunteering is good for your mind and body
3. Volunteering can advance your career
4. Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life

https://www.wcsu.edu/community-engagement/benefits-of-volunteering/

The Mayo Clinic talks about the health benefits of volunteering in their article “Helping people, changing lives: 3 health benefits of volunteering”

1. Improves physical and mental health.
2. Provides a sense of purpose and teaches valuable skills.
3. Nurture new and existing relationships.

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/3-health-benefits-of-volunteering

IMPACT Community Action, gives 8 volunteering benefits in their article “The top 8 benefits of volunteering”.

1. Make new friends
2. Build your network
3. Expand your resume
4. Improve your confidence
5. Develop emotional stability
6. Feel happier
7. Learn something new.
8. Explore your interests

https://www.impactca.org/blog/the-top-8-benefits-of-volunteering

….I feel like this will turn into a series of how volunteering/community service impacts our lives.