Why become a volunteer?

by Falconridge-Castelridge Community Association - Feb 2008 Newsletter

When you volunteer, you give part of yourself - your time, your energy, skills and feelings. You give to your family and friends, to your neighbors, and to your community. Sometimes, you are giving to people you don't even know.

Giving is one of the reasons why people volunteer. Their contributions to others and to their communities bring them feelings of self-fulfillment and the knowledge that they have made a difference.

Volunteering is also a way of saying thank you. It's a way of recognizing the countless others who, in big ways and small, have made life richer and better through donation of time and effort. But, there is more to volunteering than just giving. As a volunteer, you also reap personal benefits and enhance your personal growth. You:

• increase social awareness
• learn through service
• enjoy better health
• gain self-confidence
• build a sense of independence
• expand your social circle
• discover your strengths and talents
• develop skills and gain work experience

As a volunteer working with others, you will learn to appreciate and work with people's differences. As a result you will stay in touch with your community, its needs and issues.

Your social awareness will grow through real experience. Volunteering can reveal hidden talents. You may be able to assume responsibilities or take on challenges you didn't know you were capable of.

Volunteering doesn't have to be one-time experience, although it can be. For many it's a lifetime activity. What you gain from volunteering will change. There will always be new skills, new experiences and new feelings of satisfaction. Volunteering is often hard work but it is rarely dull.

There may be times when life doesn't allow you to volunteer. But it will always be there when you need it to enrich your life. Take joy in the knowledge that you can always give. But volunteering will do a whole lot more, it will develop you as a person too. You will discover new parts of yourself, make friends, try new experiences and know the satisfaction of helping others and being a part of community.

Remember - those who volunteer at some point in life may forget themselves and become absorbed in satisfying the needs of others. In the process they forget themselves but little knowing they will never be forgotten.

A candle loses nothing of its light when lighting another!   -Khalil Gibran

Our Volunteers