5 Reasons to Volunteer and Why We Usually Brush Them Aside

There are so many reasons to volunteer your time and to help where help is needed, but in the rush of everyday life we come up with just as many not to. Reasons to volunteer are not hard to come by; whether it is to make a big difference in another person’s life, have a little fun or make great personal strides, the important thing is to just do it no matter your reasoning. Every individual possesses special skills and knowledge that will help in a variety of circumstances. If you’re still looking for a little motivation here are some great reasons to volunteer and why we usually brush them aside:

1. To Make a difference

When it comes to the big picture sometimes we get caught up in our own big pictures, focusing solely on our goals, our careers and our lives. There is always someone else that can make enough of a difference for us, but reality is that it doesn’t take a lot of time nor effort to make a difference. By volunteering on a local scale for an hour a week at a place like a local animal shelter you are making a difference in those animals lives. If you want to make a larger difference maybe you travel abroad with a larger purpose.

2. To Improve Society

We reason with ourselves that society will continue on, on its own, and while that is true, it is also true that society can always be improved. By volunteering to help on a recycling campaign you can make your community that much cleaner, and reduce the world’s waste by more than you were before you were volunteering.

3. To Help others

Helping others is usually the most popular reason to volunteer, but sometimes what is required is mistaken. Helping others is accomplished by all volunteering efforts, whether it is in a human oriented mission or not. For example, volunteering at a food bank may not have direct human contact, but that food can make a world of difference to others.

4. To Connect with Your Community and Gain Experience

The majority of us work full time or are full time students thus connecting with our communities and gaining experience are top on our minds whether our goals are extending our network of contacts or gaining experience for our resumes. Volunteering is a great opportunity to make contacts in various niches in your community as well as gain valuable experience. The excuse to not take advantage of these resources most often is that our schedules are too busy, however many are able to volunteer and receive college credit, and many employers encourage their employees to fulfill a certain amount of hours of volunteer work within a certain time period.

5. Family Bonding

Sporting events, social engagements and play dates consume the majority of a family’s time and cause the “groupthink” that there is no time left for family activities outside of these. Volunteering can engage people of all ages, thus it is a great excuse to just take a day off with the family and find an activity that you are all interested in.