Whether you are a new resident or just want to get to know your neighbors, community service is an ideal way to meet people. It also helps you develop empathy for the community.
Volunteering gives you the opportunity to learn a skill that will be useful for future classes or jobs. For instance, you can hone your organization skills by organizing activities at elderly care facilities or family shelters.
Boost your psychological and physical well-being.
Several studies have found that selfless activities like community service boosts your happiness, life satisfaction, self-esteem and sense of control over your life. These positive emotional states reduce your chances of depression and other mental illnesses.
Another key benefit of community services is social connection. You will interact with other people who have the same civic-minded values as you, and this interaction can help ward off loneliness and depression. Community services also include building homes for low-income families, renovating schools and improving the physical environment by planting trees.
Most people do community service because they want to help others, but some do it as part of a class requirement, for an organization or religious group, to satisfy the requirements of a court order or to meet other eligibility criteria. Some community members find that they enjoy the activity so much that it becomes a regular part of their lives. In these times of COVID-19 pandemic social distancing, volunteering can make you feel connected and energized again.
Open doors to opportunities in your career.
Community service can help you build professional skills like communication, teamwork, planning and organisation. This can be a great advantage if you are thinking of changing your career or looking for a job.
Additionally, you can explore your academic interests through a real world lens through community service. For example, if you’re interested in recycling but don’t know how it works, volunteering at a local recycling center could give you a first-hand look into the process.
Community service also gives you the opportunity to meet people who may become future colleagues or even mentors. This is especially true for volunteer programs that focus on a specific cause or issue. Many people who participate in community service stay involved long after their initial project, often becoming repeat volunteers, donors or Board members. Having these connections can open doors in your career.
Create memorable life experiences.
The work involved in community service can be a fun escape from the mundane routines of daily life. Students can volunteer for activities related to their hobbies, such as tree planting or ocean cleanups, while employees can organize events that benefit local charities close to their company.
Working with a group of people in need can also teach you how to interact with different kinds of people. This helps you to develop compassion and empathy for those who are less fortunate than yourself. It can also help you break down negative stereotypes by allowing you to have informal and consistent interactions with different people.
For those who are interested in changing or advancing their career, volunteering can provide them with the experience and skills required for that new path. This makes them more competitive when it comes to job applications and can improve their chances of finding a position that they love. It can also help them test out a prospective career to see if it is really what they want to do.
Make new friends.
People who participate in community services tend to meet people that they may not have gotten to know otherwise. This interaction often leads to friendships that can be very beneficial. It also helps to broaden perspectives and break down stereotypes, especially for young people who are just beginning to explore their worldview. For example, some youths who get involved in community service make hats for kids in hospitals or knit scarves and mittens for seniors in care facilities.