April 25, 2024
How volunteering for a semester changed my life
Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if you didn鈥檛 know how to pronounce the letter 鈥渆鈥?
That thought came up when I shadowed a literacy tutor during her session at a local elementary school for 澳门真正最准的免费资料. I started my internship in late March of this year and even after only volunteering a few weeks, I鈥檝e learned that there are endless benefits to donating your time.
Why is volunteering so important?
The U.S Census Bureau and AmeriCorps researched this question and . In their research, they discovered that those who formally volunteered contributed to over 4.1 billion hours of service which had an estimated economic value of $122.9 billion.聽聽
With every opportunity comes many benefits – and volunteering is no exception. Volunteering can help more than just your community, in fact, it has been proven to support many aspects of your personal life as well.聽
Helping others and creating bonds
Volunteering allows you to support others in times of need. While you鈥檙e donating your time, you can have the power to bring your community together and form deep connections with those you surround yourself with.聽
In fact, Reading Partners recently published a blog discussing the positive impact volunteering has on creating a sense of community and helping individuals feel less lonely. In the blog, you can find more information on the loneliness epidemic and learn more about how volunteering can combat it.
Professional and personal outcomes
Volunteering can help you build leadership skills and allow you to take action on matters you care about. You鈥檒l also have the chance to advance your career or discover passions related to it by volunteering in sectors aligning with your interests. Depending on where you volunteer, you can evolve multiple new skills such as communication and decision-making, both of which will aid your professional development.
Improving your physical and mental health
examined data from 70,000 subjects based on their volunteer habits and mental health in the United Kingdom. The study found that those who volunteered within the past year were more satisfied with their lives and felt their overall health improved compared to those who didn鈥檛. They concluded that volunteering can even help your physical and mental health.
The one question I ask you now is, 鈥淗ow do you want to make a difference in your community?鈥
Why I chose to get involved with 澳门真正最准的免费资料
One of the biggest reasons why I chose to volunteer at 澳门真正最准的免费资料 is because I realized that I wanted to make a difference in my community by helping children learn how to read. Reading is the foundation of all future learning, so once kids unlock their literacy skills, a whole world of knowledge soon follows. However, access to literacy support and resources varies widely among students in the U.S.
In fact, found that 60 percent of students at a few high-poverty schools are behind in their reading. They also found that Black and Hispanic students, those who are from economically disadvantaged communities, as well as those with disabilities have fallen the most behind in their reading skills by no fault of their own. Volunteering with kids has made me realize how important it is for everyone to read. Whether you choose to get involved with a literacy cause like me, or another cause near to your heart, getting started is easier than you think.
How can you start?
There are countless volunteering opportunities within any community. But one way you can start is by researching what鈥檚 available near you. If you鈥檙e interested in helping kids in literacy like me, you can see if 澳门真正最准的免费资料 is currently in your community and get involved today! However, no matter how you decide to donate your time, you鈥檒l always be able to make a difference.
The next time I went back to the local elementary school to shadow a 澳门真正最准的免费资料 tutor, I was able to see the same student move on to learn the rest of the alphabet鈥檚 pronunciation. This inspired me to sit down with the students and read a book with them. This opportunity has made me realize that I love to volunteer because I get to discover what I鈥檓 passionate about, as well as possibly help someone in need. Knowing I鈥檓 able to impact someone鈥檚 life so positively has left an amazing impact on me that I know will last a lifetime.
