Volunteering for social activities and any civic engagement is a two way process. It helps build good relations between people and improve living. For the volunteers, it provides some health and social benefits, as well as a sense of accomplishment. Just imagine how it will make you feel when you’re able to support our troops, donate to soldiers, or provide assistance to the military families. There are quite a few veterans support organizations that seek volunteers on an ongoing basis. Spending a little of your precious time volunteering in military charities and similar organizations is already something that you can be proud of.

Researchers reveal that volunteering can cause positive impact to the overall health of humanity. Aside from being able to fulfill one’s social role, such act of kindness also help boost the morale of the recipients.

The following are some of the significant impacts of volunteering for humanity and the country as a whole.

• A state that has a large number of volunteers tends to have lower mortality rate and depression rate.
• Older people, especially retirees, who engaged themselves in helping others, fulfill a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
• Younger people, who are more exposed to physical and social activities through volunteering, are less likely to develop illnesses in the future.
• Younger people, who are used to volunteering in civic activities, also tend to be more independent and productive in the future.
• Volunteering helps strengthen the community and improve the lives of beneficiaries. It also prevents people from stereotyping during difficult times, therefore; leading to a greater self-worth and trust.

Volunteer work is a noble act. It must be done with genuine interest to experience fulfillment. The physical and emotional influence it brings to the volunteers and the receivers is priceless. Support groups for military, morale-building programs for wounded service members, fight-hunger programs, and other civic associations abound to welcome interested volunteers and donations, all year round.

On the other hand, researchers conclude that individuals still have to meet the “volunteering threshold,” such as devoting a considerable amount of time (about 100 hours a year) in order to receive positive health benefits. As explained in the “social interaction theory” or “role theory,” volunteering has a causal relationship with the positive health benefits to mankind. Volunteering gives people a sense of satisfaction when they acknowledge the act of helping people with open arms. Aside from their exposure to physical activities, their minds become more relaxed and satisfied by perceiving the positive result of their civic engagement as an accomplishment.

Moreover, volunteers are believed to live longer than those who do not do anything at all. The more people raise hands to volunteer and help others, the more a country becomes healthier and progressive.

This Article is written by James Kara Murat