The Importance of Volunteering

Volunteerism is an important part of our society. Volunteers strengthen charity efforts, are essential to non-profit organizations, and bolster their communities. According to AmeriCorps, “an estimated 23.2 percent of Americans or more than 60.7 million people formally volunteered with organizations between September 2020 and 2021.” Additionally AmeriCorps reports that in total, “these volunteers served an estimated 4.1 billion hours with an economic value of $122.9 billion.” This data shows that volunteering makes a big difference, but why exactly is volunteering so important?

Volunteering is Great for the Community

Giving time, labor, and effort to help people who need it is at the heart of what volunteering is, and volunteers support the needs of the community in a number of ways. Whether it’s building or repairing homes, cleaning up outdoor spaces, planting trees, or growing community gardens, volunteers create real change in their communities. Volunteering also allows the community to come together to support one another. For example, if a local school needs a new basketball court, members of the community can come together to build one. For another example, if an area is in a food desert, the community can come together to build a garden. Volunteering is an essential aspect of community building. Volunteering brings community members together who want to make their community a better place.

Volunteers are the Backbone of Charitable Organizations

Volunteers offer the much-needed manpower that allows charitable organizations to help as many people as possible. More often than not, funding for community services is limited and organizations must rely on volunteers to successfully carry out their services. For example, an organization that delivers meals to the elderly may receive government funding to cover the cost of the food, but it may not be enough to cover costs of delivery. Volunteers can deliver the meals. Another example: If an organization is dedicated to child literacy and has a plan to study and read with children every week, they would be unable to complete their commitments if they didn’t have people to work with the kids. Volunteers can fill in that gap. Volunteers can also spread the word about the work an organization is doing. This helps the organization attain a broader reach and gain recognition in the community. This can lead to more help and support for their efforts. With the support of volunteers, charitable organizations can not only function effectively, but thrive tremendously.

Volunteering is More Than Just Good for the Soul

Volunteering isn’t just beneficial for those who need the help of the volunteers; there are many benefits for the volunteers themselves. Research has shown that the act of volunteering boosts the health of the volunteer. According to an umbrella review on the effects of volunteering by Beth Nichol, Rob Wilson, Angela Rodrigues, and Catherine Haighton, there are “a multitude of benefits of volunteering on mental, physical, and social health and well-being, particularly reduced mortality, and increased functioning, quality of life, pride, empowerment, motivation, social support, and sense of community.” Volunteering also provides experiences that translate into professional advantages. Western Connecticut State University states that volunteering “gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization.” Lastly, volunteering gives the volunteer a sense of meaning and a zeal for change. The act of volunteering is making a tangible effort to help those who need it, and the volunteer will feel that. A survey by Véronique Jochum, John Davies, Joy Dobbs, and Lisa Hornung showed that “the majority of volunteers feel like they make a difference through their volunteering (90%).”

Disrupt Gives knows that the fight against homelessness is a big one, and we know that we can’t do it alone. We value our volunteers and we cherish the opportunity to work together to help prevent housing instability. At Disrupt Gives, there are many ways to get involved, from administration services and coordinating rental relief to providing tools and resources to individuals in need. Contact us today to learn more on how you can serve on our team. We know that we cannot help everyone, but we know that everyone can help someone.