by Ying Yang

Created on: April 12, 2011

Being a volunteer often seems to be all about giving but what many don’t realize is that you can actually gain so much from doing volunteer work. Through my volunteer involvement with various organizations, I have found invaluable emotional, social, educational, and physical benefits, to name just a few.

First of all, doing volunteer work makes you feel good. Often, we all feel a little overwhelmed by the problems in the world, thinking “what good could one little person possibly do?” Being a volunteer allows you to contribute what you can and be part of something bigger that will really make an impact. Whether it is collecting donations, organizing or promoting your cause, or doing hands-on physical work, you get an amazing sense of accomplishment after a day of volunteering. Being able to spread my enthusiasm for a cause and see others get involved and engaged makes me feel especially happy and hopeful for the future.

Volunteer work also has great social benefits because it opens you up to a group of like-minded people. Being able to connect with others who share your values and aspirations is really special and reassures you that you aren’t alone. In fact, I’ve met some of my closest friends while doing volunteer work. In addition to new friendships, volunteer work can also connect you with potential employers who align with your personal values. They are more likely to hire you knowing your background in volunteer work, while you will feel comfortable working for them knowing that they also support your cause.

As a volunteer, you can gain a lot of skills, knowledge, and work experience which you can not get anywhere else. This can give you the help and confidence you need to start your own non-profit or business, or it can be applied to your career. This is especially important for students and unemployed people, as it is really hard to find new jobs without having prior experience. For example, volunteer experience as a builder for Habitat for Humanity shows employers your physical fitness, building ability and willingness to help others. Similarly, volunteering in a management capacity can demonstrate that you are responsible, organized and driven.

Doing volunteer work usually involves being active and energized, and this has great physical benefits, too. Going out for a tree-planting or park clean-up day is a great way to get your family together and have fun, do exercise and make a positive difference to the neighbourhood. It sure beats sitting on the couch all weekend! In addition, once you have the volunteering bug, you will be energized and excited to do more and more for your cause. This has seen me going from being a casual volunteer to doing whole marathons to raise money for my nonprofit organization. Not only does this give me huge physical benefit, the endorphins kick in and I feel great, and raise lots of money.

Overall, volunteer work is hugely rewarding in so many ways. Personally, I think the best thing I get out of volunteering is knowing that I have helped the organization to reach out to more people and improve even more lives. 

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