Whether you’re cleaning up the parks or helping out those in need, community services are work that benefits the people around you. They can be a great way to bring your community closer together, and help you feel more connected to the place you live.
Some community service projects teach and serve at the same time. These often focus on careers that you may want to pursue in the future.
1. Helping Others
Whether you are cleaning up a park, providing resources for houseless people, or teaching children, there is a certain feeling of fulfillment and purpose when you work to help others. This sense of satisfaction helps to improve your mental health and may even reduce the risk of depression and anxiety.
In addition, working to make a difference in the lives of those around you provides a sense of self-worth and pride. It can also give you a better understanding of the needs and challenges of others, which is helpful in navigating personal relationships.
Many people choose to participate in community service for a variety of reasons. Some volunteer because they love what they do; others are required to complete it as part of a court sentence or school requirement. There are also a number of organizations that incentivize community service in the form of scholarships, classes, or other forms of aid. Abraham Kuyper advocated sphere sovereignty, which is the idea that local communities are more capable of helping their own members than government agencies can.
2. Strengthening Your Relationships
Community service is a great way to meet new people and make friends. You can also work with existing friends to do community service together, which is a fun and exciting way to spend time with them.
Whether you’re planting trees, putting up campfire safety plaques or painting a building, community service helps build stronger relationships with other members of your community. This is especially important for people who live in rural areas, where it can be difficult to meet other people outside of your immediate family and social circles.
It also enables you to develop a deeper understanding of diversity and break down stereotypes that are harmful to personal and professional relationships. This is largely achieved through the informal and consistent interactions that take place during community service projects, which can help you understand that not everyone fits into the preconceived ideas that are often associated with certain groups of people. This is the first step towards being a more responsible citizen and a better person.
3. Learning New Things
Community service can help you learn new things in a way that is different from traditional learning. For example, students that volunteer at a food bank can learn more about nutrition and the root causes of hunger while they work to address it, while students that clean and decorate bus shelters can explore cultural awareness and practice leadership skills.
Other examples of community service learning include researching, giving reports and creating materials to promote or teach others about the topic they are working on. For example, a high school student could create posters to raise awareness about littering for their service-learning project on a local beach.
Community service can be a great way to see the world outside of your everyday life and give back in an enjoyable way. If you’re looking for an opportunity to meet new people and explore a new culture, then volunteering with a global nonprofit may be the perfect fit for you!
4. Making Friends
There are many opportunities to meet people through community services, especially if you work with the same group of volunteers on a regular basis. This can help you make friends outside of school and expand your social circle.
Working with others also helps you learn how to interact with different types of people and develop communication skills that are essential for forming long-lasting relationships. This is a benefit that can have a positive impact on your personal life and career.
You can find community service opportunities at local schools, places of worship and non-profit organizations. There are even websites that help connect you with opportunities. You can also work with a guidance counselor or other staff member at your school to find community service options that best match your interests and skill set.
Building a community takes time and effort. Oftentimes, busy in-house teams simply don’t have the bandwidth to build, engage and manage communities alongside their day-to-day roles. That’s why Hard Numbers offers Community as a Service to enable busy, in-house teams to rely on expert external support and build dedicated communities for their customers, prospects and stakeholders.