Volunteering involves giving your time, energy and skills freely to others without expecting anything in return. It takes you beyond yourself to care about others and is a meaningful and positive thing to do for the community.

Besides helping others, do you know that volunteering also benefits you?

Sense of achievement 

Volunteering gives you a sense of achievement and satisfaction that you have helped someone in need. You will feel fulfillment that you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. You can’t change the world but you certainly can start by taking small steps.

Away from the rat-race 

We can get easily caught up in our working lives so why not take a break by volunteering and doing something fun while helping others at the same time. By extending that helping hand, you will realise that your problems are not as big as you think they are. Said Booker T Washington, an American author and educator, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

Meet new people 

You also get a chance to meet new people and broaden your social network. In your volunteer work, you can find like-minded people with similar interests, learn to work with people from different backgrounds, and get to know people from various professions who could offer new perspectives. This could also come in handy in your own professional life.

Pick up a new skill 

You can learn new skills through volunteering. For example, you could learn how to organise an event, do handicraft work, or maintain an organic farm. You could use the opportunity to discover things that you are good at or enjoy doing. This would allow you to learn more about yourself and help you in your personal development.

Do it now!

Common reasons for not volunteering include lack of time and energy, or feeling that you alone can’t make a difference. As Aesop once said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”

Start with your existing skills set first. For example, if you are an accountant by training, you could consider volunteering your services to charitable organisations so they can keep their books in order, or if you are a writer, you can contribute articles for their newsletters.

It is really up to you. You can choose any day, any time and any place to volunteer and every contribution, be it big or small, matters.

There are many needs in a community for a volunteer. It is a great way of connecting to your community and giving back. Visit the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre’s eMatch service to offer your time and service to an organisation now!

Tips

1. What is the common reason people don’t volunteer?
   1. No time
   2. No money
   3. No satisfaction

   

2. How does volunteering benefits you besides helping others?
   1. Meeting new people
   2. Learning new skills
   3. Sense of achievement
   4. All the above

   

3. If you are interested in volunteering, which organisation can you call?
   1. National Council of Social Service
   2. Health Promotion Board
   3. National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre