Volunteering Benefits for Individuals
Giving, Volunteering, Participating
Volunteering plays a vital role in Canadian society. Canada has over 161,000 registered charitable and non-profit organizations in which volunteers play key roles. The 2004 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating (CSGVP) shows that over 12 million Canadian volunteers provide two billion hours of volunteer work each year.
With hectic lifestyles and many competing demands on their time, why are so many Canadians willing to become involved as volunteers?
People volunteer because:
- they want to feel a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
- they like working with people and making new friends.
- they want to learn new things and build their skills.
- they know that the community needs them.
- it’s a great asset to a resume.
What can volunteering do for you?
- Volunteering can improve your HEALTH, providing a heightened sense of well being.
- Volunteering can improve your COMMUNICATION ability.
- Volunteering provides the opportunity to learn new SKILLS.
- Volunteering can give you a better UNDERSTANDING of people.
- Volunteering can improve the QUALITY of your life.
- Volunteering can boost your CAREER options.
- Volunteering can build your SELF-CONFIDENCE.
- Volunteering can create more FUN in your life.
- Volunteering can reinforce your sense of PURPOSE.
- Volunteering allows you to meet new and interesting people and to forge new FRIENDSHIPS.
What can volunteering do for seniors?
- Physical activity is key to a long, happy life.
- Volunteering gives the “helper’s high” and has physiological benefits similar to exercise and yoga.
- Volunteering with diverse age groups breaks down stereotypes.
- Volunteering helps you to “use it or lose it’, in other words to retain and build on a lifetime of skills, experiences, and wisdom.
- Volunteering lets you give back to your community.
- Volunteering helps you to maintain relationships.
What can volunteering do for young people?
- Volunteering can offer the opportunity to uncover your talents and abilities.
- Volunteering can help you to explore career possibilities and learn likes and dislikes.
- Volunteering enables you to make contacts and build a network.
- Volunteering allows you to gain self-confidence.
- Volunteering gives you the opportunity to become more independent.
- Volunteering allows you to obtain your volunteer hours in order to graduate from school.
- Volunteering allows you to be involved, make a difference, and ultimately help to make a better world.
- Volunteering builds skills.
