Why Volunteering Your Time Is So Important

Today, we’re talking about giving back to your community. The idea of giving back is always pushed at us to better the world but it’s not explained as much when it comes to just how you should do that. The first thing we tend to think of when it comes to “giving back” is donating money. That’s a great gesture and all, but it’s certainly not the only way, and for many people, they don’t have any money to give.

But there’s another valuable asset that many of us can find a way to give – and that’s time. Giving time is a great gesture and a great way to volunteer or give back. As many of you know, I volunteer my time each week and each month at two local places near me where I do pet therapy with 2 of my chihuahuas. We visit a nursing home and we participate in a library event where kids that struggle with reading can read out loud to dogs since dogs are a non judgement audience. So why is volunteering or donating your time so important?

Well, for starters, when you take time to do something you’re taking a powerful action. You’re specifically making or contributing a helpful action or service. If you volunteer to make toiletry bags for the homeless shelter in your area, you’re quite literally putting them together. If you volunteer to be a friendly visitor at a nursing home, you’re literally spending time cheering folks up.

There’s also something really special when you donate your time. It’s VERY fulfilling because you can in most cases directly see the impact. There are days after work when I just want to crash on the couch, but I push myself to drive right up the road with Pixie and visit our nursing home residents. Once I’m there, I enjoy it and as I leave the building, I always reflect on how much better I feel inside and out and how I need to remind myself that it is so darn worth it.

You can also volunteer your time when you take action in the community by volunteering to clean up a local park, run a shop stand, or contribute something like your graphic design skills to create a brochure for a charity event. Of course, I guess you could still say you’re donating money in a way since by creating something you’d normally sell is a way you are donating the cost of that service, but really you’re donating your time to make it.

This is why when people say they want to be more active in their community but they don’t have a lot of money, I simply remind them that volunteering their time is a great way to give and it doesn’t have to be much, even just one hour a month. It feels good, it helps others, and it’s all around a great idea.

Do you volunteer your time? What do you do?

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