Top Five Reasons to volunteer this summer!

Whether you are finishing up a semester in college, beginning a new career, or waiting for the new school year to start, you can become a volunteer this summer. Here are my top five reasons why volunteering this summer is well worth your time.

  1. Volunteering supports your community - You may not realize it, but every time you volunteer you are making your community a better place to live. It doesn’t matter if you volunteer at a school supply drive or volunteer at a local park, you are making your community a better place. You are strengthening your community by making the it more desirable, giving students a chance to succeed, supporting youth, seniors, and other members of the community, and much more.
  2. Increase professional experience- Spending time volunteering can help give you work experience such as working with others, communicating, staying organized and efficiently managing your time. Also, it can be an excellent way to boost your resume or even discover a career path! 
  3. Help you become a healthier, happier you- Simply put, people who do good, feel good. Volunteering helps people feel good by improving their mental, physical, and emotional health. According to the United Health Group, 76% of individuals who volunteered in the past twelve months say that volunteering has made them feel overall healthier.  Read the full report here.
  4. Better understand your community’s challenges- Volunteering can help you uncover what your community’s challenges are and give you the proper tools to help combat those challenges.
  5. You are needed- Volunteering in not just something to do for yourself. It is something to do because you are required. Without volunteers, a lot of what we do here at United Way of Southeastern Connecticut would go left undone.

Please call 2-1-1 for free and receive information on where you can volunteer this summer. You may also their website, www.2-1-1CT.org to check out opportunities. 

http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/~/media/UHG/PDF/2013/UNH-Health-Volunteering-Study.ashx
http://infoline.org/
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/work-career/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm