When Compassion Meets Action Lives Change
Donating to the causes you care about does not only benefit the charities themselves, but it is also fulfilling for you as well. People give to charities in order to support causes they believe in, but it also can have a positive effect on someone’s mind, body, and spirit.
Here are a few reasons why donating to a charity of your choice is so gratifying.
GIVING TO A CAUSE MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD
Donating to a cause makes you feel good. Just knowing that you are helping others is very empowering, and that sense of environment will, in turn, increase your feeling of happiness.
GIVING TO CHARITY STRENGTHENS PERSONAL STAKE IN THE CAUSE
Having the power to improve someone else’s life is a privilege, and if you think about it at one point or another, we are all going to need another person’s help in some way. Acting on the desire to help someone in need is a great way to reinforce our own personal values and help to continuously shape who we are as people.
GIVING TO A CAUSE OR ORGANIZATION HELPS TO TEACH CHILDREN THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE GIVE BACK
Sharing the experience of donating to charity with children shows them from a young age that they can make positive changes in the world. Most children naturally love to help others, so nurturing that will help them to grow up with a greater appreciation for what they have.
GIVING TO CHARITY MAY ENCOURAGE FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DO THE SAME
Your own charitable donations may inspire your friends and family to give to causes important to them. Talk about your fundraising goals and what you are raising money for in order to bring awareness to the cause.
Volunteering
If you are unable to make a monetary contribution, volunteering can be an excellent way to give back to your community or a specific population. Volunteering can also help you to make friends, learn new skills, and advance your career.
With busy lives, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering can be enormous. While volunteering offers vital help to people in need, worthwhile causes, and the community, the benefits can be even greater for you, as a volunteer.
Giving to others can also enhance your mental and physical health. It can reduce stress, depression, anxiety by occupying your brain in a different way and providing a sense of fulfillment and purpose.
One of the more well-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people and organizations in need. It strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network, connecting you with people who share common interests, neighborhood resources, and fun and meaningful activities.
“I stand for honesty, equality, kindness, compassion, treating people the way you want to be treated, and helping those in need. To me, those are traditional values.” ~ Ellen Degeneres
Volunteering can increase self-confidence because when you are doing good for others in the community it creates a natural sense of accomplishment. The better you feel about yourself, the more likely you are to have a positive view of your life and future goals.
Volunteering can advance your career, and teach you valuable job skills. If you are considering changing your career path, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. Volunteering can also give you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, project planning, task management, and organization. Just because volunteer work is unpaid does not mean the skills you learn are not beneficial. Volunteering can also help you build upon the skills you already have and use them to benefit your community.
You will have a better and more enjoyable volunteering experience if you take some time to identify your goals and interests. Think about why you want to volunteer. What would you enjoy doing? The opportunities that match both your goals and your interests are most likely to be fun and fulfilling.
There are plenty of volunteer opportunities available. The key is to find a position that you would enjoy and are capable of doing.
Here are a few links to get you started, but be sure to reach out and contact organizations that interest you. The sky is the limit.
VolunteerMatch — Find opportunities that match your volunteer interests, from location to type of work.
Idealist — Find volunteer opportunities in your local area or internationally.
AmeriCorps — National and Community Service — Federal organization offering volunteer positions across the U.S.
Volunteer.gov — Directory of volunteer opportunities.
Peace Corps — Offers volunteer opportunities overseas and includes a 50 Plus division.
