In this world, we’re given a finite amount of resources. Time, money, energy, health, and so on and so forth. It’s up to us to figure out what to do with them. And if you’re looking to really make a difference with what you have, you may want to consider volunteering your time.
You’ve probably heard of volunteering before, maybe thought about doing it yourself. Heck, maybe you’ve done it before. But what I’ve found is that most people don’t volunteer their time on a regular basis. And you know, it’s not hard to understand why.
Why most people don’t volunteer
Like I said, you’ve only got so much time and energy, and volunteering takes both. You have to make a commitment to something beyond your own life and that’s a big undertaking for people. The fact is, most of us are pretty myopic when it comes down to it. Sure, we know the world doesn’t revolve around us. But at the same time, our world does. And so it’s easy to get bogged down by our limited perspective. Our problems seem to be the most important to us. Which is fair, but the rest of the world is still going on.
I think the other main reason that people don’t volunteer more often is that there really seems to be a little bit of a barrier to entry. In the beginning, the idea of volunteering can seem good, conceptually. But that’s all it is, a concept. When it comes down to the nitty gritty, most of us really don’t know how to get started volunteering. We’re not taught how to. So the “good concept” stays foreign to us. Which is really a shame, because I think a lot more people would like to volunteer than actually do.
How much good can you really do?
Now, I’ve heard all about people’s nihilistic arguments when it comes to lifestyle changes, and volunteering is a part of that. You may be the same. Wondering, “How much of an impact could I really make by volunteering?” And I’m going to be honest with you, maybe it’s not as much as you’d like. There’s a lot of variation when it comes to what you’ll be doing (and so on and so forth). Some activities will make more of an impact than others. But I think that volunteering as a whole is still worth doing, even if your impact isn’t massive. The very act of using your time to make the world a better place is beautiful and helpful and loving. In my opinion, that is worth it on its own. And either way, it’s certainly better than doing nothing at all.
However, if you are someone who’s looking to make the biggest difference you can (which, yay, go you!), then be sure to put that into your decision before you make your commitment. Calculate how much impact you’ll be making with this activity, versus maybe a different opportunity you’re looking at. And sure, sometimes it can be hard to quantify, especially if you’re looking at two very different kinds of things. But at that point it’s down to you to determine what is more meaningful and impactful. Remember, it’s your time. It’s up to you to make sure you’re spending it the best way you can.
Why should I volunteer?
I would say there are two reasons to start volunteering. Number one, the impact it makes in the world, and number two, the goodness you’ll feel from doing it. Now, it’s a pretty simple concept, but let’s expand upon this symbiotic relationship so you can really get a feel for what I’m saying.
Firstly, the impact. You know that impact is important here at Eight Years In. While it may not be “everything”, this world could use a whole lot more do-gooders in it. You can probably think back on a few times in your life when you needed someone’s help. If you got it, you’re grateful to that person. And if you didn’t, you may look back on that time with discomfort. (No shame in that, we all have dark chapters of our lives.)
But either way, imagine. At any given moment in our world, there’s tons of people who need help. You could be that person for someone. And in a lot of cases, it probably wouldn’t inconvenience you all that much. I think that’s really worth something. Also, if you normalize reaching out in order to help, then the people in your circle may feel more apt to do so as well. That means you’d be helping make this world a kinder, more helpful place.
And then, the second thing. Maybe it’s a little selfish, but you’ll get real emotional gains from regularly helping others. Our brains are hardwired to want to be useful and necessary. So when you devote time to regularly helping out others from the goodness of your heart, it’s great for your emotional makeup. You feel fulfilled and like you matter. You also feel a greater sense of connection with the world around you, a sense that you helped make this happen. (Because you did.) This really can help change your outlook on life.
How can I start?
So I mentioned the perceived barrier to entry already. This is very real and very important to take into account when we’re talking about volunteering. Most of us don’t know how to get started. And it is a little bit of a process, but quite an important one. So consider these things before you make your decision. It’s better to end up with a good fit, as far as volunteering goes. That way you can be reliable and make a consistent impact.
What am I passionate about?
So we come back to a question that constantly plagues young people’s minds. What is it that you care about? The reason this is so important though, is that you won’t be getting paid for this work. You need to make sure it’s something you care about, or else you probably won’t be motivated to show up at all. Also, why would you want to spend time on something that you don’t care about? Nobody wants to do that.
Think about the world, as a whole. What are some problems in it that you’d like to see fixed or eradicated? Or maybe you’d rather look at it more optimistically. Is there any movement, service, or place in this world that you’d like to be a part of? To lend your hand and be able to put your name on in some way? Either way you look at it, that’s how you find out what to look into. Find the place you’re looking for online or in real life, and ask about volunteer opportunities. Often times, non-profits are the way to go, as they will be in need of more assistance from volunteers (in general). They also tend to be the companies that are doing more cool stuff to volunteer for anyway.
Look around you
However, if you’re really drawing a blank about things that excite you, you could always take a different approach. Location can be a great limiting factor, when you put it to use. Look up volunteer opportunities in your city or town online. Most cities have websites with listings of things you can do to volunteer. Or, you could take a look at VolunteerMatch. All you have to do is put in your location and search for opportunities, it’s very simple.
If you’re using location as your main way of looking at things, you still might want to consider adding some keywords to a Google search. If you’re stumped, here are some ideas to get you started.
What are some places to consider?
There are lots of places that would love the help of a volunteer. And when it comes to your own personal search, I’d advise you to get creative. You see, there are more volunteer options than you can find listed online. If you really want to help out with an organization that you think is awesome, put yourself out there, even if they don’t have a listing. You never know what they may need help with. That being said, here is a list of some types of organizations that would likely be open to volunteers. If you’re interested in any aspect of these companies and how they run, volunteering can be a great way to learn, hone your skills, and get a foot in the door. But also, remember. It’s all about the life enrichment!
Libraries
Libraries often look for people to help with teaching their programs, returning books to the shelves, dusting, decorating, small maintenance jobs, or assisting visitors.
Food Shelves
Food shelf volunteers might help with sorting donations, stocking shelves and assisting visitors. In some cases, they may also aid in delivering food.
Community Centers
Helping out at a community center might look like sweeping and mopping, helping out keeping the grounds clean, and directing visitors.
Community gardens
If you’ve got a green thumb, consider getting involved in a community garden! You’ll be weeding, planting, watering and watching as your plants grow. What could be better?
Homeless Shelters
Homeless shelters take various kinds of volunteers as well. You could help out with meal service, laundry, play games with visitors, pass out mail and/or just generally welcome visitors to the shelter and help them with whatever they may need.
Nursing Homes
Nursing homes love volunteers for any sort of life enrichment. If you have any sort of interesting talent or hobby, sharing it with the residents of a nursing home can be a very special way to spend time. Volunteering could look like singing songs, coloring, doing manicures or even just hanging out and playing cards.
Animal Shelters/Farm Sanctuaries
For the animal lovers out there, animal shelters and farm sanctuaries could use your help. You could walk dogs, or socialize cats. A farm sanctuary can always use someone to help muck out a barn. And if you love animals but aren’t great with them, you could volunteer your time for some administrative work instead.
Hospitals
Hospitals also take on volunteers of all kinds, to interact with visitors and patients as well as assist in different departments. They may have openings to greet visitors, clean rooms, help run programs or services like meals and laundry.
The bottom line
So, when it comes to volunteering, you’ve got a lot of options to try out and consider. And this is great, because it means there are a lot of ways to help make this world a better place that cost nothing. Volunteering is a great way to spend your time, help broaden your skills and perspective about the world around you.
Remember, this world belongs to all of us. And ultimately, it is what we make it become. So try your hand at making it a better place with the time and energy you have. As always, thank you for reading. And have an awesome day!