Earlier this year I went on a trip to Atlanta, and as I wandered through the city in awe of the wealth and culture there, I too was perturbed by the level of homelessness that saturated the city. Everywhere I went the homeless begged for money. At first I was moved and listened to them and gave them what they needed. Then I just gave them money and left, in the end even that was too much and I simply walked away. The only thing I could feel was a pervasive sense of powerlessness and I think this is something that we all have experienced. Unfortunately, by ourselves this is often the case, but together we can do something about it and even lead happier healthier more fulfilling lives in the process. 

All over the world there are people working tirelessly to provide for the needs of others, and studies show that these heroes are rewarded with better health. For example, in cleveland clinic.orgs article “why giving is good for your health,” they state “there is also a chemical response that takes place in our body in response to just doing something nice these chemical are serotonin dopamine and oxytocin.” Furthermore, the same article later states is that these chemicals play a role in regulating mood, overall happiness and self esteem. The results at the end is that volunteering can help manage depression and “is similar to the positive results brought by a healthy diet and exercise.” 

Additionally and equally important is the opportunity to expand your social network. For example, most charitable organizations also have a function as a social organization. People in charities tend to be like minded individuals that work together to solve a common problem, all of which are bedrocks of solid relationships. This isn’t wishful thinking either. Backed by science, when we engage in volunteer work with others we hit three of the four main key aspects of a relationship; those being proximity, similarity and reciprocity. To quickly explain, proximity is being around a person on a consistent basis, similarity is what we have in common, and reciprocity is simply helping each other and having a mutually beneficial relationship. When one puts it in that way, it is simple to see why charities and volunteer organizations become centers of social interaction as they fit all of these criteria simply by running as intended. One needs no further proof than to look at some of the most common social clubs around as everyone from the Knights of Columbus to the Elk Lodges have a strong commitment to charitable works as a foundation to their mission. 

Finally when it comes to one’s career volunteering, helps here too. Not only do colleges look for volunteers, a survey by the University of South Florida shows that it can be critical to getting into a college as 58% of colleges say that volunteering has a positive impact on the application process and more importantly 53% of colleges say that volunteer work may be a deciding factor between two equal candidates. Furthermore, the benefits of volunteering continue past the classroom and into the workplace with volunteers more likely to land. Jobs according to both LinkedIn and ALIS (Alberta Canada’s Government-run career services website) they cite several reasons for this such as showing integrity and drive. However, the most common reason is that volunteering develops valuable skills some universal like communication, leadership and organization to more specific skill sets prudent to work that you did. For example, habitat for humanity gives certificates for people who volunteer. It not only shows your hours worked tasks completed but most importantly it shows the skills you have learned while acting too as a reference for any future resumes. 

Volunteering helps both the community and the volunteerer live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives. It may highlight your passions, give an outlet to the change you want in the world and help you find your best self. Most of all, it gives us the power to turn our small contributions into a mark that will never leave this world.

As the words of Martin Luther King Jr so eloquently put it: “if I can not do great things I can do small things in a great way” and with charity we can make these small but great things into something truly great.”