The benefits of volunteering

Did you know that volunteering can have many benefits for you as well as providing a meaningful and positive impact on our community?

Here are some reasons to volunteer:

Be a part of our community. No person is an island. Sometimes we take for granted the wonderful community that we live in. People depend on each other for survival.

Volunteering is ultimately about helping others and having an impact on people’s well being. What better way is there to connect with your community and to give a little back?

As a volunteer, you return to our community some of the benefits that our community gives to you.

Sense of achievement. Volunteering is about giving your time, energy and skills freely. As a volunteer, you have made the choice to help on your own terms, free from pressure to act from others.

Volunteers express a sense of achievement and motivation, and this is generated from your desire to help. Sometimes volunteers are regarded as do-gooders and those that hold that view also assume that one person can never make a difference.

It may be true that no one person can solve all the world’s problems, but what you can do is make our little corner of the world a little bit better for all of us.

Develop a new skill. Volunteering is the perfect way to discover something you are really good at and develop that new skill. As Gandhi said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

Volunteering is often seen as an opportunity to acquire job related skills and improve job opportunities.

Meet new people. Volunteering brings people together from all different backgrounds and walks of life.

This is also an incredible networking opportunity. You never know who you will meet or what new information you will learn and what impact this could have on your life.

Volunteer opportunities

Following are some volunteer opportunities available with the Douglas County Public Health Senior Office:

Senior Companions help seniors remain independent. The companion provides the kind of help friends provide for other friends, including friendly visiting, help getting to medical or personal appointments, and shopping together. There is a small financial reimbursement to cover the costs of volunteering. Transportation is reimbursed for travel costs. For more information, contact Deb Shea at (320) 762-3047.

Let’s Go Fishing with Seniors provides free fishing and boating excursions to seniors throughout Douglas County. We bring the great outdoors back to the seniors by providing a means to get out on the water, relax, enjoy the scenery and even catch fish. Pontoons go out every day Monday through Friday, sometimes even several times a day due to dedicated volunteers. To volunteer, contact Mary Krueger at (320) 762-3047.

Tags: mary krueger, senior coordinator, life, senior, krueger, volunteering