Living in a safe and healthy city is a top priority for most people. To become a part of the solution for making this happen in any city one should consider becoming a local volunteer. Volunteering can nourish a community, can bring happiness and fulfillment to one’s own life, and will also look good on a college application or job resume.
Community Enrichment
The types of volunteering that would greatly impact the community would be working with the youth, elderly, those with disabilities, the homeless, as well as helping with environmental issues, or helping local organizations with fundraising. Many people in these areas are often struggling to survive. Lending a hand to those in need can take away some of the burdens those who need help are faced with. This gives the individuals support and also the feeling that someone cares, allowing them to explore outlets that will positively impact the community.
Fulfillment
The altruism of becoming a volunteer can impart a lot of happiness into one’s life. Many people find happiness and a sense of purpose when serving their community. Finding one’s purpose in life can go beyond finding the right career. The giving of one’s time and dedication to the right cause can fill the void that many people feel in life. Serving locally gives the volunteer the advantage of getting the immediate gratification by seeing the good their acts of kindness are producing. Seeing a smile produces positive endorphins into the brain. Working with and for people to help them live better lives will lead to many more smiles. The happiness one creates for others, in turn, becomes the happiness of those who volunteer.
Improved Resume
Anything that can give yan edge over other candidates when applying for colleges or jobs is a necessary step to take and volunteering can do just that. Employers have many applications to filter through, the best way to stand out in the monotonous tide of applicants is to add local volunteering to the accomplishments list. An emphasis on local volunteer work shows that the applicant is rooted in their community and can follow through with their commitments. Empathy and selflessness are both admirable characteristics. These personality traits are often sought after and can correlate with people who have a strong work ethic. Many colleges want to see volunteer work on an application. Local volunteering shows that you are not just doing the volunteer work to plump up your resume but that you also care about your city and its wellbeing.
It is important to understand that by helping the local community, the individual will flourish. A quick online search can lead to many avenues for local volunteer work. Volunteering has a wide array of topics, meaning anyone can find their niche and use their talents for good. Why spend time bored and binge-watching when that time could be spent making a world of difference in another’s life? So stop waiting for the world to change and go implement that change yourself.
