What is volunteering and who are volunteers?
Volunteering is generally considered an activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial or social gain to benefit another person, group or organization. Volunteering is known not only to be related to happiness but also to increase happiness. Studies have also shown that volunteering can cause a decrease in loneliness for those volunteering as well as those for whom people volunteer.
Volunteering is generally considered an activity where an individual or group provides services for no financial or social gain to benefit another person, group or organization. Volunteering is known not only to be related to happiness but also to increase happiness. Studies have also shown that volunteering can cause a decrease in loneliness for those volunteering as well as those for whom people volunteer.
Meaning of volunteer according to the Cambridge Dictionary is: a person who offers to do something that you do not have to do, often without having been asked to do it and/or without expecting payment. There are many ways how to become a volunteer and many fields in which you may become a volunteer (Volunteering in developing countries, e-volunteering, environmental volunteering, volunteering in schools, volunteering during natural disasters, etc…)
Did you know that during this volunteering activity you receive and improve plenty of your skills (soft skills as well)? You face with problems on a daily basis, you have to deal with these problems, solve them. You are in daily touch with a mix of personalities, people from different cultural and social backgrounds. All these situations happen while adjusting to life outside of your comfort zone, which is a big adventure by itself. This all adds up and helps to improve your teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and gives you self-confidence. Did you know that all these skills mentioned above are so much appreciated by employers?
Did you know that volunteering may have positive benefits for the volunteer as well as for the person or community served? Studies have found that when you stop thinking about your own problems and focus on someone other than yourself, your stress levels start to decrease, your immune system is strengthened and your overall sense of life satisfaction increases. This is because helping someone else interrupts tension-producing patterns and replaces it with a sense of purpose, positive emotions and high confidence levels.
What and when is the international volunteer day?
In 1985, the United Nations General Assembly declared 5 December as the International Day of Volunteers. The purpose of the holiday is to express the recognition of the volunteers and to thank them for their contribution to society. Volunteering is an essential element of any strategy that recognizes that progress cannot be measured solely in terms of economic return. Volunteering brings not just peace and development, but it has a clear impact on the inner life of individuals, communities, and societies.
It is a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities. What is more important it is an opportunity for volunteers, and volunteer organisations, to raise awareness and gain an understanding of the contribution they make to their communities. International Volunteer Day is celebrated by many non-governmental organizations, civil society, and the private sector, among others. It is also marked and supported by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.
This year, International Volunteer Day celebrates volunteer efforts that strengthen local ownership and the resilience of the community in the face of natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks, the day got a subtitle: "Volunteers build Resilient Communities".
What means volunteering for me?
Basically VOLUNTEERING = CARING for me, caring for people, animals, dogs, education, quality, etc... If you are volunteering you are taking action, maybe even example to other people so changing things become easier. During my volunteer activity, I met a lot of great, creative and good people with amazing ideas. Not just the volunteering but also these people bring out the best of me. Thanks to my new environment during volunteering activity I have learnt that I don’t need to be afraid to share my ideas, to say them loud, my self-confidence increased and I can take the initiative.
For this article I used information from different research, you may see them below.
Demir, M., & Özdemir, M. (2010). Friendship, need satisfaction and happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 11(2), 243-259.
Aknin, L. B., Barrington-Leigh, C. P., Dunn, E. W., Helliwell, J. F., Burns, J., Biswas-Diener, R., ... & Norton, M. I. (2013). Prosocial spending and well-being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 635.
Wilson, J. (2000). Volunteering. Annual review of sociology, 26(1), 215-240.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Aknin, L. B., Barrington-Leigh, C. P., Dunn, E. W., Helliwell, J. F., Burns, J., Biswas-Diener, R., ... & Norton, M. I. (2013). Prosocial spending and well-being: Cross-cultural evidence for a psychological universal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(4), 635.
Wilson, J. (2000). Volunteering. Annual review of sociology, 26(1), 215-240.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
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