Benefits of Volunteering

Free College& Financial Aid Information go to www.Scholarships.com

The Benefits of Volunteering

How Helping Others Helps You

After recent tragic events, you may have asked yourself, "How can I help?" Volunteer work can make an important, positive difference in your community. But did you know that it can have many benefits for you, too?

Reasons to Volunteer

1.   Gain Valuable Life Experiences and Skills

Whether you build houses for the homeless or mail flyers for a local politician, you'll experience the "real world" through hands-on work. You can use this experience to explore your major or career interests.

2.   Meet Interesting People

Volunteering brings together a variety of people. Both the recipients of your volunteer efforts and your co-workers can be rich sources of insight. For example, maybe you'll learn about the legal profession from a former lawyer you visit at a convalescent center. You could even meet your future prom date while saving the rain forests.

3.   Get Academic Credit

Some schools offer academic credit for volunteer work through "service-learning." This is a teaching method that integrates hands-on learning (through service to the community) into the school curriculum. It's available in high schools and colleges, as well as in earlier grades.

4.   Send a Signal That You'd Be an Asset to a College Community

Colleges pay attention to your life inside and outside the classroom. Your extracurricular activities reveal a great deal about you, such as what your interests are, whether you can manage your priorities and maintain a long-term commitment, what diversity you'd bring to the student body, and how you've made a meaningful contribution to something.

How to Get Involved

There are many people, places, and organizations that need volunteers. Here are some tips for getting started:

•    Look around your community and in the phone book to see what programs exist that may need help.

•    Visit your city or town Web site. It may list volunteer opportunities in your community.

•    Contact your local United Way, cultural arts association, student organization, or umbrella association that can point you in the right direction.

•    Ask your library, church or synagogue, and/or community college if they sponsor any volunteer groups.

Questions to Ask Yourself Before Volunteering

It's important that you enjoy the type of service you choose and that you have the time to stick with it. Ask
yourself these questions before you commit to an organization.                         ,

•    How much time do I have to commit?

•    Do I want an ongoing, regularly scheduled assignment, a short-term assignment, or a one-time assignment?

•    Am I willing to participate in a training course, or do I want to start my volunteer work immediately?

•    What talents or skills do I offer?

•    What would I most like to learn by volunteering?

•    What don't I want to do as a volunteer?

•    Do I want to work alone or with a group?

•    With what kind of people do I want to work - both in terms of who is receiving my services and who my co-workers might be?

Printable Version