Volunteer!
Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.
Now you may want to ask yourself, why volunteer? There are so many reasons, so the question to really ask yourself, is why not? There are many places that need volunteers; try to find something that interests yourself. Personally, I have always wanted to help out with Habitat for Humanity. Something about pitching in to build a house for a needy couple, seems a great thing to do. So that will be my next volunteer project.
Parents, you can always take your kids with you to a shelter, where you help serve food to the needy. Your kids need to see just how many people could use some help, and just how fortunate they are in their own circumstances. A lot of kids and adults too, love to volunteer at animal shelters. These animals need help with their care, personal grooming, playing with them, and paying attention to them. By volunteering, you get to know the animals personalities, and can recommend to your friends who are looking to buy a cat or dog, a great pet for them.
Your local church can be a great source of volunteerism. You can volunteer to help with the church events or help reach out to the community. Volunteering should not be a chore, in fact there are many benefits to the person who volunteers.
Volunteering helps lower depression; it takes your mind off of your own situations for a while, and puts it on someone else. It helps reduce stress and helps improve your mood, because you are helping other people; this can make you happier. It is a win-win situation.
You are learning new skills, that you can apply towards work experience. If you are applying to college; college admission counselors look positively toward volunteer experience.
Last but not least by volunteering, you are meeting new people who have similar interests as you do. It can be very fun and satisfying. So if your life needs a major tune-up; it is time for you to volunteer!