Volunteering With Our Kids

Photo courtesy of helpguide.org

Now the new school year has officially begun. I hope everyone is finding a good routine for our now busier lives.  Many parents find themselves rushing from one activity to the next. Sometimes it is a good idea to take a step back, gather up the family and go volunteer.  You can volunteer with almost any kind of group and need you can think of.

http://www.ncbigsweep.org/

Volunteering in NC:

• NC Big Sweep
• On the first Saturday in October, volunteers from all 100 counties in North Carolina and approximately 90 countries worldwide come together to clean up our land and waterways.

Research has shown that volunteering can provide countless benefits: According to helpguide.org

• Volunteering connects you to others
• Volunteering as a family
• While it might be a challenge to coordinate everyone’s schedules, volunteering as a family has many worthwhile benefits. Children watch everything you do. By giving back to the community, you show them firsthand how volunteering makes a difference and how good it feels to help others and enact change. 

• Volunteering is good for your mind and body
• Volunteering increases self-confidence. Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to your self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. 
• Volunteering combats depression. Reducing the risk of depression is another important benefit of volunteering. A key risk factor for depression is social isolation.



Photo courtesy of carolinaparent.com
For Information about Volunteering in the Triangle

• Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy. Volunteering is good for your health at any age, but it’s especially beneficial in older adults. Studies have found that those who volunteer have a lower mortality rate than those who do not, even when considering factors like the health of the participants. Volunteering has also been shown to lessen symptoms of chronic pain or heart disease.
• Volunteering can advance your career
• Many volunteering opportunities provide extensive training. For example, you could become an experienced crisis counselor while volunteering for a women’s shelter or a knowledgeable art historian while donating your time as a museum docent.
• Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life
• Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work you find meaningful and interesting can be a relaxing, energizing escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.