According to recent studies, volunteerism has been on the downfall as of late. Not only has the recession primarily affected our finances, it has also had a negative effect on volunteerism. The National Conference on Citizenship conducted a study, “America’s Civic Health Index,” which discovered that most Americans cut back on volunteer work and other civic activities. “They’re not saying they’ve stopped volunteering, but they are cutting back on the time spent on volunteering and civic engagement,” says David Smith, executive director of the National Conference on Citizenship. The study included interviews with 3889 people in May 2009 during the low point in the economic slide. The study found that 72% of Americans said they were devoting less time to volunteering and other civic activities like providing food and shelter to those in need and participating in public discussions like town-hall style meetings. However, although many Americans are not volunteering officially, many continue to give back. The study did find an increase in nonstructural community service being that 50% reported giving food or money to someone in need who was not a relative.

Volunteering is extremely important to our community and we cannot put it to the side. Besides providing much needed help to people or non-profit organizations that need it most, volunteering has many benefits. Volunteering can open the door to new career opportunities, friends, skills and you will gain appreciation for the things that we take for granted. Here are the top five reasons why you should volunteer!

1. IT WILL BOOST YOUR VISIBILITY– Volunteering can benefit your business. Although this should not be your main reason for volunteering, it’s a great perk. For example, Cappy MacPherson, a realtor from Florida, uses volunteering as a marketing tool. She gains exposure by volunteering with local charities. At each volunteering job she wears something with a company logo on it. This serves as a conversation starter and gets her name circulating in the community.

2. YOU’LL SHARPEN YOUR BUSINESS SKILLS– Select a volunteer opportunity that will help you improve certain business skills that you’ll need in the future.

3. IT DOESN’T REQUIRE A HUGE TIME COMMITMENT– Don’t think that you are too busy to volunteer. You could start by volunteering for a one-time event or by scheduling just a couple of hours per week. Websites such as VolunteerMatch.com list volunteer opportunities with the estimated time contribution required. Another website, ServiceLeader.org, provides virtual volunteer opportunities which allow you to provide virtual help to an organization of your choice.

4. MAKE MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS– Volunteering offers the opportunity to make meaningful relationships in your community. It allows you to network and interact with people that you normally wouldn’t and expand your professional horizons

5. YOU’LL FEEL SO GOOD ABOUT – When you witness firsthand how families live without heat, electricity or indoor plumbing; you will definitely feel better about your present situation. Volunteering can also make you healthier. The Corporation for National and Community Service recently published research entitled, “The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research.” The study says that volunteering improves longevity, lowers depression rates and reduces the rates of heart disease.

Here are a few other reasons why you should volunteer:
-Learn something about yourself
-Have fun
-Because you’re passionate about a cause
-To explore career possibilities
-It’s time to get off the couch
-Learn some new skills… and add them to your resume
-To fulfill graduation requirements
-Make someone else’s day
-Volunteering looks REALLY good on college applications