Volunteering and its Unexpected Benefits

by SalvationArmy.ca
Categories: Blog
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With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the unexpected benefits of giving back to your community are numerous.

  1. Volunteering increases self-confidence: Doing something good for others gives you a sense of accomplishment and identity.
  2. Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy: Volunteering is especially beneficial to older adults and lessens symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.
  3. Volunteering combats depression: Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and helps you develop a solid support system. This eases stress and depression when you’re going through challenging times.
  4. Volunteering can advance your career: Volunteering helps you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field.
  5. Volunteering provides newcomers with practical benefits: Almost one in five Canadians are immigrants. Volunteering helps them make new friends, add Canadian experience to their resumė, improve their English and learn about community services.
  6. Volunteering improves interpersonal skills: About two-thirds of volunteers (2010 Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating) say their volunteer activities help them understand people better, motivate others and deal with difficult situations.

To be effective in today’s society, The Salvation Army needs volunteers as never before. For more information about volunteering with The Salvation Army, click here.