Stories

Volunteering is a Win-Win, Reap the Benefits
Written by Amy Andrews

For many of us, finding time in a busy schedule to volunteer can feel like a luxury. We may want to do good and help others but it feels just beyond our grasp. “I’ll volunteer when this big project at work is over.” Or, “I’ll volunteer when my kids are older.” It is easy to come up with reasons to just shelve it and move on with an ever-growing to-do list.

This DO GOOD Week, carving out the time to find a volunteer opportunity and connect with real organizations and real people who need your help in our community, is as simple as visiting dogoodweekclt.org. There you will find hundreds of different volunteer opportunities listed that can be quickly filtered to suit your preferences and narrow down the easiest, and best way for you personally to plug into the nonprofit community.

And while giving your time to a local nonprofit, without doubt, helps that organization, it also benefits YOU, the volunteer. Volunteering has the power to shift your outlook on a number of things and, surprisingly, many of the positive - yet elusive - things we crave in our daily lives are the byproduct of volunteering:

• Being in the moment – Volunteering can serve as hard re-set of sorts. In a new environment, we are forced to snap out of our rote agendas and be present

• A sense of community – As connected as we are through technology, many of us feel more alone than ever before. Volunteering lets you tap into something larger than yourself and make interesting new connections

• Appreciation for our lives – It is easy to take what we have for granted. Witnessing different situations and learning about new people allows us the space to step back and recognize the fullness of our lives

• Stress reduction – By disconnecting from regular obligations, even for an hour, you can come back to the “game” refreshed

• Setting a good example – Modeling behaviors you hope to foster in your children, your extended family or in your friend circle are a surefire way to get others motivated to do the same

Here’s the good news - SHARE Charlotte has done all of the heavy lifting by aggregating volunteer opportunities in one central place at dogoodweekclt.org. and the filtering ability allows you to find a comfortable way to jump in – whether you have one hour or ten, enjoy getting dirty, working with others or putting your professional skills to work.

Ready to do GOOD? We thought so. Click here.