This post is featured on behalf of Jenna Brown.
When you lead a busy life, it can be hard to find the time to help others. However, what you may not know is that lending a helping hand benefits you as well. Reaching out to citizens in need in your local community or elsewhere creates an environment for you to meet new people, learn new skills, and be of service.
Here’s a look at some more benefits to volunteering:
· It can improve self esteem.
· It improves your mood.
· Allows you to build a connection with others.
· Helps to improve the life of someone else.
Taking time off to be kind to someone else is a win-win situation. Whether you opt to do something small or something big, the impact the gesture can have will be immeasurable.
If you’re not sure of how you can help others, you’ll enjoy this list we’ve compiled below:
1. Listen to someone. Lending an ear to someone in need is a great way to offer your help and support. Sometimes we simply need to vent, and having someone to talk to makes it easier to get through whatever is going on.
2. Donate Unused Items. If you have things around the house that you’re no longer using you can donate them. Whether you give them to someone you know is in need or you take them to a local secondhand shop it will help clothe someone who needs it.
3. Become a tutor. Are you highly skilled in a certain area? Maybe you’ve always been great with math or science. There are tons of people who could use your help. You can tutor children who are struggling academically or volunteer at a local library to assist adults who may want to continue their education.
4. Start a non-profit. If helping is something you’d like to do on a regular basis and you have a savvy business mind, you could start a non-profit organization that works to help the greater good. Whatever needs you see within the community, whether it’s children needing mentors, help for senior citizens, or a support center for expectant mothers, you could make a real difference in your neighborhood.
5. Becoming a surrogate. There are a lot of couples out there who would love to have children, but cannot conceive on their own. Should you become a surrogate, you could help women who are unable to carry pregnancies build a family and enjoy the wonders of parenthood.
6. Donate or participate in a charity. Charities are a great way to help others and give back. If there is a particular cause that you’re interested in, you can donate money or your time. Whether you walk five miles for breast cancer or donate $500 to lupus research, you’ll be making a difference in the lives of many.
7. Do a few chores. Everyone can use a helping hand with chores. Ask friends, family members, or neighbors if they need help tackling something around the house. Cutting the grass, raking the leaves, preparing meals for a senior or disabled person, or even agreeing to walk the neighbor’s dog is certainly a way to give back to others.
8. Babysit for free. If you know of anyone who’s in need of a sitter you can volunteer your time without charging them.
9. Pay the bill. The joy you get for helping others comes in seeing the smile on their face. What better way to make someone’s day than to pay their bill? If you’re in line at a store and have a few extra dollars, ask the cashier to apply it to the next bill in line.
10. Volunteer. Volunteering is often the “go to” for those who want to help others. Helping out at the soup kitchen, picking up trash around local parks, or donating time to a school are effective ways to touch lives and make a difference.
Helping is an ability that we all have and it can certainly be a blessing. Whether you assist someone financially, with a skill, or simply by being there, when it’s genuine and from the heart, it will be appreciated.
Giving back to others not only makes them feel good, but it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside. Try to make helping others a normal routine in your life and suddenly your days might seem that much brighter.