What volunteering gave me.

Hello Hello! Today, I wanted to talk about a subject that is close to my heart: volunteering. I've been doing it since I was little with my parents, and I keep doing it regularly. Over time, I realized that all these volunteering moments brought me a lot more than I thought.

Obviously, volunteering is a great asset to a curriculum vitae! It is a work experience that makes a good impression on future employers and universities. But there is so much more to gain than that!

Volunteering also helps develop a sense of responsibility (though if you want to volunteer, I think you already have a sense of responsibility ...), a positive social life and contributes to social harmony (Sutherland et al. , 2006). In short, volunteering = happiness! Why miss it? Personally, I learned a lot from the people I met through volunteering. I was able to get in touch with people of all ages and backgrounds, people I would never have met otherwise! I opened myself to different realities from mine and it is a life experience which I am very proud of.

My self-esteem also benefited from volunteering! It's really rewarding to see the end result of an event you've been involved in or seeing a patient smile because of you. In fact, several studies have concluded that volunteers generally have greater well-being than non-volunteers (Mellor et al, 2008).

There are a ton of ways to get involved in your community. Just find out what interests you most. Events, such as the lole white tour, often seek volunteers. It is a commitment of a few hours or a single day, perfect if you don't want to involve yourself in something very time comsumming. Community centers also often need volunteers, for mentoring, animation, cooking snacks... Hospitals are also generally looking for people who are ready to help. I did a bit of everything in terms of volunteering, but the hospital is my favorite! At the hospital itself, there are several options: reception, reading, different wings with differents needs ... A simple research on nearby organizations is usually sufficient to apply and find what suits you best

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I hope you can have such a wonderful volunteer experience that I had the chance to live!

Xoxox

Camille Élisabeth

Références:

Mellor,D. Hayashi, Y. Firth, L. Stokes, M. Chambers, S. Cummins, R. (2008). Volunteering and Well-Being: Do Self-Esteem, Optimism, and Perceived Control Mediate the Relationship? Journal of Social Service Research, 34(4). Repéré à : http://dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:30017676

Sutherland, D. Doerkson, M. Hanslip, T. Roberts, J. Stewart, S. Sagnes, E. et Friesen-Storz, T. (2006). Le bénévolat chez les jeunes : évaluation des bienfaits de l’apprentissage par le biais du service communautaire. Toronto, Canada : Imagine Canada