Young and old, Americans volunteer. According to the AmeriCorps.gov website, 60.7 million people, or over 23 percent of the population, engaged in some type of formal volunteering in 2021.
Volunteering not only provides services, it builds a sense of community. Volunteers often pick up the slack where funding ends. Without volunteers, many service organizations would not function as effectively.
The benefits of volunteering to organizations and to the populations served are clear, but volunteering is also good for the volunteers. It’s no secret that helping others often helps us most of all. Some of the individual benefits of volunteering include:
Volunteering Improves Mental Wellness
International research has found that the overwhelming majority of volunteers feel like they make a difference through their volunteering. When volunteers see what their efforts are achieving and the impact they are having on their community, their sense of accomplishment and purpose also increases.
Over three quarters of volunteers reported that volunteering improved their mental health and wellbeing. Over half of the volunteers report that volunteering improved their physical health, too.
Volunteering Brings Variety
As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. Volunteering can bring a change from the mundane of the everyday in to volunteers’ lives. Volunteering gets you out into the community – and sometimes literally outside! Volunteering at something completely different from your daily routines can provide an outlet for creative skills that you may be underusing.
Volunteering Is Often an Antidote to Feeling Lonely
Volunteering is an ideal way to meet new people and make new friends. There are often similar interests, passions, and values among volunteers, so it can be easier to forge relationships – a real bonus when you are new to an area. Helping others can’t help but foster a sense of camaraderie within a group.
At McLean, We Value Our Volunteers
McLean is lucky to have volunteers who help us in unique ways to expand our services. April is National Volunteer Month – and we are grateful for the generosity of our volunteers all year round.
Our volunteers provide a variety of assistance with:
- Life Enrichment and Resident Programs
- Meals on Wheels
- The Adult Day Program
- Hospice
- Outpatient Rehabilitation and Wellness
- Auxiliary/Gift Shop
- Greenhouse
- Sorenson Media Center
- and more
Interested in learning more about opportunities to volunteer at McLean? Contact Ann Pavano at Ann.Pavano@McLeanCare.org.
Sources: AmeriCorps.gov and NCVO.org.uk