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From fulfilling your volunteer hours requirements for school to wanting to get a deeper appreciation of community involvement, there are many reasons to volunteer. We will help you find a way to get into volunteering and recognizing the importance of getting involved.
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to explore who you are and discover new interests, hobbies, and skills.There are many different avenues of volunteering, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in a variety of fields such as medicine, technology, or business.
Volunteering can have a positive effect on you and the world around you.According to Statistics Canada, volunteers added 2 billion hours to Canada’s work effort in 2017, adding a value of $55.9 billion to the GDP. Over 40% of Canada’s 70,000 registered charities rely exclusively on volunteers to function. Volunteers are also more likely to be donors, with 91% of volunteers making charitable donations compared to 73% of non-volunteers (NSGVP, 2000). Volunteers helped establish the earliest hospitals, orphanages, and welfare agencies in Canada, contributing to the Canadian culture of giving.
Volunteering connects you to people, organizations and the environment in a way that fosters your sense of belonging.Immigrants who volunteer feel that it is a great way of integrating themselves into the community. Research has suggested that volunteering contributes to ‘social capital’, leading to an increase in social trust, reciprocity, and sense of belonging in the community (Wu, 2011). Volunteering leads to meaningful connections with new people, builds your network and strengthens your relationships, allowing you to form friendships.
Volunteering can positively affect your mental and physical health, and helps reduce stress.The Canadian Mental Health Association states that 1 in 5 people will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime, and Canada has one of the highest suicide rates of children and youth under the age of 21 in the world. A Stanford review demonstrated that volunteering improves mental health, lowers mortality rates, and increases overall life satisfaction. (Add infographic of mental health).
Volunteering your time and talent to help others creates a sense of accomplishment and improves self-esteem. If you give your best effort, it can be a fun experience.