Benefits of Community Service
Benefits of Community Service
By reaching out and helping a non-profit like the Giving a Smile Foundation you are actively expanding your network, your skill set, and your lived experience. While all the benefits may not directly apply to you, you’re more than likely to find that most of these top ten benefits of community service do.
Make New Friends
Making friends as an adult is hard. Work friendships always come with a certain level of occupational politics, and you often don’t see those people outside of work.
Participating in a group activity through community service provides an outlet where you can meet other adults away from the pressure of work.
Beef Up College Applications
If you’re getting ready to apply for college or you have a teenaged child in that position, then volunteering is an absolute must.
College admissions are more competitive than ever, and prospective students are expected to compete with other applicants from around the globe.
Volunteering may not be as important as good grades, but it shows that you’re a compassionate individual with diverse interests.
Build Social Skills
Many of us struggle to relate to others. Social skills don’t come naturally. They are learned.
If you feel like you need to work on your own interpersonal skillset, then volunteering is a great way to meet a whole range of people from different walks of life.
Improve Family Relationships
Forcing your children to volunteer is usually not a recommended course of action. However, if your children do show a proclivity for helping out, then volunteering as a family can be a great bonding activity.
The key is to find a mission that drives you and your children to do your best to work as a team.
Get Out of Your Routine
Anxiety and depression are very common in our society today. One of the most difficult aspects of these disorders is that it can be very easy to resist the changes that will help most.
Choosing to volunteer gets you out of your bubble, out of your home, and offers a much-needed distraction. When combined with the other benefits of community service and proper treatment, these changes to your routine can really put mental illness on the ropes.
Stay Active
If you work a sedentary job, then it is far too easy to fall into the habit of not exercising at all. Sure, most volunteer gigs won’t have you running a 5k, but they will get you walking.
It doesn’t sound like a lot, but walking around and conversing with others is a great way to break up the more sedentary activities of your daily life.
Learn New Occupational Skills
For those who are struggling to move out of “unskilled” jobs, volunteering for a non-profit can be a game changer. Just learning basic filing and run-of-the-mill computer skills will give you the headstart you need to start realizing your ambitions.
Make Important Local Connections
Speaking of work, volunteering is a great way to expand your network. You would be surprised how many opportunities are presented through word of mouth.
Improve Self-Confidence
Giving back feels good, and doing things to benefit your community proves that you are capable of creating meaningful change.
Most of us don’t get to feel that way on a regular basis, and it may create a sense of self-doubt or the feeling that you’re just a cog in the machine. Volunteering breaks that cycle to build confidence.
Feel Pride in Yourself and Your Community
Giving a Smile’s impact is so clearly felt by the local community. When you take part in a volunteer initiative like this one, you can’t help but take pride in what you and your neighbors have been able to achieve.
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