Get Out And Serve During National Volunteer Week
Many of us are still trying to figure out what really makes us happy.
There's no denying that volunteering and helping others seems to be a key. Study after study has shown that service can be the biggest key to happiness in most people's lives.
Now is a great time to test that theory as it is National Volunteer Week.
National Volunteer Week is celebrated annually during the third week of April and this year it will be observed from April 16-22.
This week-long celebration is about placing a spotlight on inspiring figures whose invaluable seeds of kindness through volunteering are bettering the community and our world in general.
This significant celebration, which was established in 1974, provides the perfect opportunity to say thank you. It also challenges us to do better and look for ways to be active participants, joining hands to impact our local communities and calling for more support.
From the website Nationaltoday.com, gives us three suggestions for volunteering:
Get involved
Do more than applaud; let your impact be felt. One look around your community, and you find various ways in which you can lend your support.
Spread the word
Volunteers are often overworked, so there's always a need for more people. Be a part of the movement to call on more volunteers by using your social media handles to send the message out
Say thank you
Appreciating volunteers goes a long way to making them feel good about their impact and driving them to do more. You could do personalized gifts, host an appreciation gala, write a note, email, or thank them in person.
That website also offers these intriguing facts about giving service:
5 FACTS ABOUT VOLUNTEERING
Volunteering peaked during the Great Depression
During the 1930s, the U.S. launched a large-scale coordinated volunteer effort to assist the millions of hungry, homeless, and unemployed people via relief efforts.
There’s a ‘Year of the Volunteer’
The year 2001 is proclaimed as the International Year of Volunteers (I.Y.V.) by the United Nations General Assembly.
Volunteers have helped in deeply tragic events
Hurricane Katrina, Haiti's deadly earthquake, Indian Ocean earthquake, and tsunami; volunteers have been there through it all. Theirs is the face you see during the most trying times, offering help and assisting with disaster relief and recovery.
The ‘United We Serve’ campaign
President Barack and Michelle Obama announced this campaign, calling for more engagement in service.
Value of volunteer hour boost
In 2020, as a result of the pandemic, the value of a volunteer hour witnessed an almost 5% boost.
Here are some websites to help you find places to volunteer:
Justserve.org
Youth Volunteer Corps of St. George
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah
Habitat For Humanity of Southwest Restore
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