According to www.VolunteeringinAmerica.gov, Utah is the number one state in the nation for volunteer work. An average of 43.9 percent of Utahns volunteer in community, school, non-profit and church organizations, making Utah the only state to claim over 40 percent of adults dedicating time to volunteer work. April is National Volunteer Month, and it provides an opportunity to think about how we spend our time and evaluate if there is something different or additional we could do to make a difference.
According to the research article, “The Effects of Volunteering on the Volunteer,” by John Wilson and Marc Musick, there are many benefits to those who volunteer. Consider the following.
• Citizenship. Some believe that volunteering is at the core of maintaining a civil society where people feel free to organize themselves and engage in meaningful activities and discussions. This is especially evident in our democratic society of politics where people willingly take the time to vote, run for local office or support political organizations. People in the United States in recent years were found losing their desire to participate in the political process. However, in the last year when people felt there was a fresh face or new cause worth voting for, they became passionate about their freedom to participate.
• Anti-social behavior. Wilson and Musick state that it is part of “folk wisdom” that volunteering builds character and helps keep kids out of trouble. Many believe that volunteering fosters interpersonal trust, tolerance and empathy for others and respect for the common good. This, in turn, can keep youth away from anti-social or delinquent behavior, such as vandalism, and make them less likely to participate in self-destructing behaviors such as drugs and alcohol. For adults, the same could be true. Boredom easily leads to focusing on ourselves and can lead to depression or anger.
• Physical health. Research in social medicine has shown health benefits directly tied to social integration (a sense of belonging or sharing a common cause with a group of people) and social support (friendship and family ties). By helping others, both within the circle of our acquaintance as well as perfect strangers, individuals develop stronger networks that tend to buffer stress, ward off illness and reduce disease. In other words, people who volunteer tend to be healthier. This is especially seen in older people who volunteer. In the later stages of life, retiring from full-time employment, being left alone due to the loss of a spouse and physical health problems are likely to occur. However, if people become involved in volunteer efforts, they build social networks, become more physically active and find purpose in being involved in activities that focus on others.
• Mental Health. Volunteering links personal well-being to being involved with organizations or causes. This means that when people feel connected to other people, and have significant roles to fill, they feel better about whothey are and they have a sense of purpose that brings happiness and contentment. One measure of being socially integrated and feeling needed is the number of roles someone performs at the same time, for example, mother, worker, sibling and volunteer. While having multiple roles may create stress in some people, generally speaking, having a variety of roles to perform brings about positive feelings.
There are many reasons people volunteer. Maybe you just want to have fun or want your family to become involved in service. Whatever the reason, science has identified many benefits that might entice you to pick up the phone and call the local volunteer center, 4-H, the Chamber of Commerce or your local clergy. Become involved. You are needed.
By: Kathleen Riggs - Apr. 20, 2009