Essay on the importance of volunteering

Volunteering is important for numerous reasons that benefit both the community and the
volunteer themselves. When someone donates a handful of time, the difference made is
tremendous and it shapes a community for the better while the experience improves the person
who donated the time.
Volunteering is what makes a community because it brings people together to work on a goal.
Whether it is a fundraiser for the research to cure a disease that affects the whole world, or to
help a local family who has fallen in a time of calamity, volunteers make it happen. Community
life is improved by aiding others and lending a helping hand to get a job done more effectively.
More people working equals less work for each person and less time for the project. So when it
comes to getting the job done, like a community clean up, the more the merrier.
When a person donates their time, they give hope to someone who needs it. If a local family's
house burnt down and a group of people hosted a benefit for them, that family's faith would be
revived when they realized that people care. Although that family lost their house and their
belongings, seeing how their own community wants to help would bring joy and show them that
money isn't everything.
A volunteer also benefits themselves because they get to see how their contribution has made a
difference. This experience contributes to personal development especially in areas such as selffulfillment, self-confidence, and self-esteem which often flourish in the midst of volunteering
experiences. The selfless act of volunteering provides a spiritual enhancement as well. Knowing
that you made a positive impact on someone is an emotionally uplifting experience that can
never be matched by money or fame.
Donating time now will also aid in the future. Volunteering strengthens present skills and also
shows an employer that an effort has been made to make an improvement. Such skills include
communication skills, ability to work with others, ability to take direction and lead others,
dedication and time management. Employers realize that as a volunteer you must be able to
prioritize your schedule in order to devote time for activities that benefit others. When employers
see active volunteer work on a resume, they are much more likely to hire said person rather than
someone who doesn't volunteer. Employers are aware that most people who offer their time are
conscientious, honest and hard working individuals.
These are just a few reasons why volunteering is important. Not only does it bring hope and
happiness to people, but it also leads to spiritual and personal growth. It is an experience that
cannot be bought with any amount of money.

Volunteering: How Helping Others Helps You

Volunteering has a positive effect on your community and its good for you too. Ben, a
college freshman who did volunteer fund-raising work, calls it a win-win situation." He says,

"You feel good because you're helping others, and the others feel good because they're getting
help.
Volunteering can help you learn more about yourself and even put you on a path to your future
career.
Reasons to Volunteer

Giving back to your community is valuable in itself, but helping others also offers many benefits.
For example, it can help you learn more about yourself and even put you on a path to your future
career. Learn more about the reasons to volunteer below.
Gain Valuable Life Experiences and Skills

Whether you build houses for the homeless or mail flyers for a local politician, you can
experience the real world through hands-on work. And you can explore your major or career
interests at the same time.
For example, as a premed freshman, Gregory spent his summer volunteering at a local health
clinic. He picked a clinic in an area with a lot of Spanish speakers so he could practice his
language skills while observing medical workers. He also found time to ask the doctors
questions.
Meet Interesting People

Both the people you are helping and your fellow volunteers can give you new insights. No matter
what groups of people youre working with, youll find that they have information and ways of
looking at the world that can broaden your horizons.
Get Academic Credit

Some high schools offer academic credit for volunteer work through service learning a
program that offers hands-on learning through service to the community. To find out if your
school offers service learning, talk to your school counselor.
Show Colleges Youre Committed

Your volunteer work illustrates your interests and character. When you list your volunteer work
on your college applications, you show admission officers the value youll bring to their campus
community.
Make a Difference

Its eye-opening to realize that doing even small things can have a big impact on others. Rhea, a
college sophomore, still remembers a visit she made to a senior home with a choir when she was
in middle school. An elderly man in a wheelchair looked up at me after the last strains of
Frosty the Snowman and said in a gravelly voice, Youve made my day. This means so

much. She recalls, No one had ever thanked me in such a way for doing something so small,
and a stranger no less!
How to Get Involved

Organizations everywhere need volunteers. Here are some ways to get started:

Call programs based in your community and ask if they need help.

Visit your towns website. It may list volunteer opportunities in your area.

Contact a local museum or other cultural institutions or get in touch with

similar organizations that can point you in the right direction.

Ask libraries, religious organizations and community colleges if they sponsor

any volunteer groups.

Check out the following websites to learn more about causes and to find
volunteer opportunities near you:
o

United We Serve

Network for Good

Idealist

VolunteerMatch

DoSomething.org

Before You Volunteer

To get the most out of your experience, ask yourself these questions before you get involved with
an organization:

What have I done in the past that Ive enjoyed?

What do I want to do as a volunteer and what would I rule out doing?

How much time can I commit?

What talents or skills can I offer?

What kinds of people do I want to work with?

What would I most like to learn by volunteering?

6 Reasons Why Volunteering Is Important (and Awesome!)

The college admissions process is, to put it mildly, stressful. Not only do we as students study
tirelessly to keep an appealing GPA, trudge through hours of standardized testing, and find the
time to somehow attend a hundred club meetings in a week, but now we have to devote our last
few spare hours doing volunteer work? What?! Please, I dont have time for that!
At least, thats what I used to think when I spent my summers begrudgingly volunteering at a
local thrift shop. Yeah. Try spending eight hours organizing donations without air conditioning in
the middle of central Florida for five days straight, and then talk to me about your enthusiasm for
volunteer work. Anybody up for the challenge? Mhm. Thats what I thought. So, the question
remains: why bother volunteering?
When it comes to service work, its important to realize that, similar to an actual career, not all
volunteer positions fit everyone. Its one thing to just log hundreds of hours for the sake of
mildly impressing a college admissions officer, but the actual goal should be maximizing your
utility. Lets face it: Were high school students. Were busy; even if were procrastinating, were
busy. Volunteering isnt exactly at the top of anyones priority list, so finding a non-profit
organization that clicks with you is the first step to enjoying (tolerating?) volunteering.
As I mentioned earlier, I spent a couple of summers hastily completing my schools volunteer
requirements at a local thrift shop. I did not care for it at all, and I only showed up so the
volunteer coordinator would sign my hours sheet. It wasnt until the summer before my junior
year that I found out just how enjoyable volunteering could be when I began working for a local
vet hospital. So, if youre in the same position as I was, try out different organizations. Dont just
settle for an organization to rack up the hours. Theres a lot more to volunteering than that!
1. Gaining New Experiences and Insights
Volunteering allows students to get involved with new things and develop technical, social, and
academic skills that couldnt be learned in a classroom environment. Whether youre helping out
at your local library or tutoring underprivileged kids, volunteering allows you to experience
different environments and situations.
I know that a lot of us, as competitive, college-obsessed, sleep-deprived students, get lost in the
quantity of volunteer work, but its crucial to take a step back from the number games. Instead of
boasting about how many hours youve piled up, why not talk about the things youve done?
Volunteering brings out new interests, hobbies, and opinions; moreover, volunteering expands
students horizons. As Ashley, a rising senior, who volunteers with numerous organizations and
clubs, puts it, If your volunteering experiences can give you something to write or think about
for your college essays, then I say its done something good for you as a person, and itll help
you overall in your college admissions processit should mean something to you!

2. Giving Back and Helping Others

Admit it: youre pretty lucky. Youre working your way through your high school education with
intentions to move on to post-secondary education. You assumedly have a roof over your head,
food to eat, and clothes to wear. Even if you dont have the best of those, youve got them.
Volunteers create better environments for others; they create healthier communities, and they
brighten lives. Jill, another rising senior, has been playing the piano for more than a decade and
the flute for seven. She volunteers by performing in concerts for senior citizens. We always talk
with them after our concerts, and their stories are very humbling. They make me realize that Im
actually very lucky to know how to read and play music. They always tell us how great we sound
and how they wish that they spent the time in their youth to learn an instrument. As a volunteer,
shes been able to give back to the community that fostered her musical talents.
3. Creating Connections with People
No matter the age, building relationships with people is crucial. Not only does the volunteer
work you do as a student show who you are as a person, but it reflects many positive character
traits that potential employers and admissions officers want to see. Volunteering allows you to
meet a wide variety of people from all sorts of walks of life.
Networking is an amazing benefit of volunteering, and students learn professional skills and have
access to a breadth of knowledge from their co-volunteers. Jasmine, a fellow rising senior,
volunteers at her local free clinic, where shes the assistant administrative coordinator. Some of
the doctors and volunteers there have become my mentors, letting me shadow them or giving me
general life advice about interacting with people and education. Interacting with new types of
people, though extremely difficult, has developed my people skills. Through her volunteer
work, shes not only become an integral part of the clinic itself, but shes gained a lot of valuable
insights, skills, and experiences.
4. A Sense of Accomplishment
Volunteering isnt one of the most plush, easy, or glamorous of jobs, but it is one of the most
beneficial and uplifting. While no monetary compensation is received, many will tell you that
their work and experiences gained as a volunteer were worth way more than any money they
could have gotten from another line of work.
Think of it like this: volunteering is done on a persons own accord. Its taking some time out of
your day and helping others. Volunteer work makes us feel good. It builds self-confidence and
lifts up the spirits. As Jill puts it, students these days are getting caught up in the number of
hours they store up doing something that they dont care about, and not only is the meaning
behind the actions lost, but the charity becomes a chore. So yes, do it, but do what you want to
do and because you want to do it. That couldnt be truer. Its crucial to have a strong connection
to your volunteer work. Basically, you get out of it what you put into it.
5. Building Career Options

Charity work gives students opportunities to test out a desired career path. Concurrently, it gives
them an edge on their resume. Getting involved with an organization that shares similar ideals
and interests is an important step for students. At a young and pretty inexperienced age,
volunteering is an excellent gateway to the workforce.
By gaining new experiences and creating new connections, volunteers are able to better visualize
themselves in that field and explore the daunting question: can I see myself doing this for life?
And, even if the organization you do get involved with has nothing to do with your intended
career path, it might end up surprising you. While I wasnt such a fan of my early high school
summers of volunteering, I was still able to make the most out of my situation by learning how
to problem solve, work more efficiently, and deal with unwanted environments. Even though I
know that I dont want to follow a similar career path, I strengthened a lot of skills necessary for
my own future career. So, take a chance by getting outside of the beloved comfort zone through
volunteer work.
6. The Dreaded College Admissions Process
As if I would end this article without going back to this hot mess. Unfortunately for us, we live
in a pretty competitive world. College admissions has become much more than GPAs, test
scores, and letters of recommendations. You, as a highly motivated and worried college-bound
student, already know that. Volunteering, while it wont raise your GPA or add 20 points to your
SAT score, will give you a plethora of other things, like experiences, connections, and most
importantly, a voice.
So, get out there and get involved. Stop stressing about the number of hours, and start having
fun. Yes, volunteering can be fun. Dont worry; I was surprised too. Remember: volunteer work
is meant to be more than what most make it out to be. Your high school years are stressful. Dont
let something as constructive and vital slip through the cracks!

What are the benefits of volunteering ?

volunteering means to carry out a duty or a job without expecting repayment or remuneration.
The concept is very popular in the advanced or rich countries such as United States, Australia,
United Kingdom and other western nation. In Laos, the concept is rather alien as may look at
volunteering as rendering help without expecting payment in return as a waste of time and effort.
However, there are many benefits one can gain through volunteering.
When one volunteers to help out someone such as a friend, teacher or parent, one is immediately
seen as selfless and helpful. When you help a teacher to clean he classroom or get involved in
cleanliness campaign at the school level or other community projects, your standing would be
elevated. Teachers and adults would look at a young person who volunteers his or her time for a
certain activity as mature, responsible and deserving of respect.
In addition, volunteering with an organization such as orphanages, community centers and other

non-profit organizations such as the Society for Prevention of Cruelty towards Animal and other
welfare organizations allows you to interact with society at large. In addition to helping these
organizations carry out their duties, you not only gain experience but can learn a variety of skills.
This is especially beneficial for students. Even though one is not being paid, through
volunteering time, effort and skills one would learn more than what money can buy. You can
learn to be bold, assertive, independent as well express your opinions and gain communication
and interpersonal skills. In Laos, this is lacking. Thus, the responsibility falls on the teachers to
encourage students to volunteer their times not only for school activities but to spend their
leisure in helping out community-based organizations.
Volunteering also allows one to become more mature at a relatively younger age. When you are
exposed to volunteering at a young age be it at the home front, school or their organizations, you
would learn the importance of responsibility in carrying out your duties to the best of your
ability. Embarking on volunteer activities would enable one to learn survival skills such as
responsibility, ability to express ideas as well as the importance of hard work and diligence.
Volunteering also exposes one to many interesting ideas and issues. For example, if you
volunteer your time regularly at a charity organization, you would learn how the organization
works and the importance of team work, and other essential ideas related to the day-to-day
operations. of the organizations. You will not only enhance your general knowledge, but also
learn how to deal with problems, challenges as well dealing with different types of personalities.
Thus, there are many benefits to be gained by volunteering. Students in particular should be
allowed to participate in volunteer activities to enhance their knowledge as well learn useful
interpersonal and organizational skills.

Volunteering has changed my life forever. I have often heard people talk about the
benefits of volunteering, of it being a way to reach out and touch the lives of others
in a positive way. But I didnt fully understand the impact of that claim until I started
to volunteer myself. I started volunteering in my last year of high school so that I
would have something to add to my university applications. At first, I would just be
a helping hand in local community events, such as bake sales and food drives. But
then, I was asked to help organize an after-school program for children. This
changed my life forever. Everyday after school, children from the local community
would arrive at the mosque where volunteers like myself would plan activities for
them until they were ready to be picked up by their parents. For the most part these
children came from low-income families, whose parents could not afford expensive
day care facilities. We would help the children with their homework, take them to
the park, and organize various games for them. The kids responded well to the
program, and slowly I started to develop a bond with them. The more I worked with
them, the more I realized how much I loved them. Many of these kids did not have
the luxury of taking swimming, soccer or karate lessons like other children their

age; and because I knew that myself and another volunteer were fully accredited
lifeguards, while two other volunteers played on their university soccer teams, I
initiated a plan. I would teach the kids how to swim, while the others would help
them
form
a
mini
soccer
league.
But little did I know that while I was teaching these kids how to swim, they would
also be teaching me things. Every time a child was scared to get into the water,
they taught me patience. Every time, a child got scared and held on to me, it taught
me that they depended on me, that I was important in their life, and every time
they accomplished a task with success it gave me a sense of accomplishment. But
most
importantly,
they
taught
me
to
give.
Volunteering my time to teach swimming lessons was the best thing I have ever
done in my life. It taught me that money will never be my motivation for working,
that motivation for me will only come when I know I can make a difference in
another persons life.