Give Yourself
We all love receiving things, be it gifts, money, affection, food – you name it, we like it. You might not believe it, but you know what else feels good? Giving.
When most people think of giving, they think of giving gifts or giving money in the form of donations, but what if you don’t have money to give? Well, you can give your time.
You can not only give your time to your friends and family but you can also volunteer somewhere and donate your time to your community.
I try to volunteer at the animal shelter every year, and this year Kate told me about a program at work in which volunteers go to middle schools and high school and teach a class about bullying (middle school) or career exploration (high school).
I decided to do the career exploration class because I felt I knew more about the topic and I could help the kids better.
Making Positive Choices
The program runs in collaboration with Street Law, a nonprofit organization that creates classroom and community programs for young people to understand the importance of being a good citizen and encouraging personal, academic and professional growth.
The classes are taught once a week during Health class and teaches kids a variety of important life and professional skills. The class mostly revolves around how to present yourself as a potential candidate for a job or college, how and where to find a job, what to expect in a job interview and how to respond to interview questions, how to write a resume, etc.
This is just an example of a way we can volunteer and make an impact in somebody’s life without having to give them money.
And let me tell you something. This was one of the best things I’ve done in my life.
Not all kids were into it, but some kids were, and if I could just help one of those kids then I did a good job. And not only that, it also made ME feel happy.
There are countless studies that show how giving makes us feel happy, and happiness makes us give. But that’s not the only thing it does, giving makes us feel more than happy.
Why Giving Feels Good
I already mentioned that giving makes people happy, but it is also good for our health. A large amount of research has linked giving to better health. The research suggests that one of the reasons giving improves health is because it reduces stress, which is associated to health problems.
Volunteering also helps you grow as a person. Not only do you help somebody in need, but you also have the potential to learn or develop a new skill. If you’re interested in a new career, volunteering in that particular field is the easiest way to find out if you’re cut out for that field and also to gain some much needed experience.
Volunteering is also a great way to give back to your community. We’ve all had people who helped us in some way along the way and volunteering is a great way to pay it forward. It also helps you make social connections. It’s always nice to make new friends, but it is also good to grow your network. You never know when you’re going to need it.
Now, you don’t have to spend all your free time volunteering – you can if you want to – but an hour here and there can go a long way. I know a lot of people in the personal finance world are all about finding time to make more money, but money won’t bring you the satisfaction that helping others can bring.
Besides, one less hour a month that you dedicate to making money is not going to make a big difference in your net worth, but it will make a big difference in somebody that needs you.
Get out there and donate your time. You’ll be a lot happier for it.
Do you volunteer? What volunteering ideas do you recommend?
[Photo Credit]
Giving absolutely feels good, and I like to give via volunteering more than anything else. I give money to some causes that I like; however, I never feel quite as connected as I do when I am in the presence of the person I am helping. For me lately, I have been volunteering by giving financial planning advice to people who can’t afford me and I love that I have a skill that can help them and that I am in the position to give back. There is nothing better to me than to get people on the right path with their money.
Giving financial planning advice is definitely a great thing to do because it helps people with their money. And maybe, just maybe, they can use that knowledge to help others.
I enjoy volunteer work! Since I moved to the US, I haven’t made the time to partner with an organization but it is on my to-do list.
Volunteering is enjoyable. If you can’t partner up, you can just show up somewhere and ask if they need help.
I couldn’t agree with you more that making a difference in people’s lives is great for the soul. I plan to do a lot more volunteering when I retire some day; in particular by helping people to manage their finances.
I was just reading another personal finance blog where the author is planning on joining the Peace Corps when he retires. That’s a pretty good idea.
Yes yes yes! I completely agree. Some of my most rewarding experiences have been in a volunteer role. People may not be prepared for how much giving back can affect their whole mood and outlook on life. If there is something you are particularly passionate about, there is likely an opportunity to volunteer for that cause. It may take some searching online, but they’re there!
I agree. A quick online search can help you find various volunteering opportunities.
Like you said, giving to the community has several benifits. Maybe it is a little selfish yet as everyone walks away a winner I do not care so much, so I try to get down to the homeless shelter and serve up meals there. it seems a little selfish because I use the experience to help remind myself how good off I actually have it.
I wonder how you feel about this Aldo?
I don’t think it is that selfish. Yes, we do it to get something out of it as well – be it to feel good or to gain experience – but we are still helping people. It is not just doing something for myself without helping anybody else.
I really enjoy volunteering and it’s something I really need to do more. I’ve actually been looking for a good opportunity that I can commit a few hours a month to. Will you go back and volunteer again at the school? Sounds like a fun program!
Yes, I will definitely sign up to do it again. It was a lot of fun. It was a little terrifying the first day because I had to stand in front of a big group of kids, but it was fine after that initial shock.
I like to share my knowledge when I can. When I’m judging (gymnastics) I always make it a point to talk to each coach after, ask them if they have any questions, and give them tips. It’s not really volunteering though. I’d like to do more of that with my kids in the future!
You’re getting paid to be a judge, but you are volunteering your time to talk to the coaches after and try to help however you can. I don’t think it necessarily has to be labeled “volunteering” as long as you just provide your time to help somebody.
Giving is a great feeling. It feels great to be able to help other. It’s also important to be a good receiver too when you’re on the receiving side. It’s a two way street.
haha everybody likes to receive… that goes without saying.
I often give money to causes that I support, but haven’t volunteered all that often in my past. Currently, being self-employed, my time is my most valuable asset, so its hard to give it up. But, I guess this is the point. If you can give up the most important thing for you, then that is when charities truly benefit!
That’s true. Just help however you can. Money is probably the most efficient way because they can use it for whatever they can, but if you can’t donate money then time is also needed.
I’d love to be a regular volunteer somewhere. Mr. FW and I both did quite a bit of volunteer work in the past, but we haven’t been as involved recently. It’s actually something that’s on my bucket list right now. Thank you for the motivation!
You are welcome. I also don’t volunteer as much as I could. I do what I can, I guess.
Giving does feel good! I used to volunteer more regularly than I do now but it’s a great way to spend your time. Right now I just sporadically volunteer when opportunities pop up, but I want to get involved again with an organization for a longer term commitment next year.
This is the first time I’ve been involved with this group, but it is a lot better than just showing up somewhere. Well, that’s good too, but with the organizations everything runs a lot more smoothly because they have worked out the kinks already.
I volunteer regularly at my son’s school. I spend probably about two hours a week there. At one point I was volunteering so much at school and church that I worked a 40 hour week volunteering. It was great fun but I had to slow my role;0)There are so many volunteer opportunities where you can truly make a difference through schools, churches, food banks, etc.
Wow, two hours a week is pretty good. It might not sound like much, but I’m sure your help is greatly appreciated.
I used to volunteer a lot at the Central Prison in Zambia. It gave me a lot of joy and satisfaction because the results of my efforts were tangible and changed people’s lives. For instance, a young inmate had lost touch with her family in Zimbabwe. I called her parents to tell them that she was in prison and fine health wise. I became their contact and I liked the sense of accomplishment the volunteering gave me.
That’s great! This is a perfect example of how you could directly impact somebody’s life. Thanks for stopping by.
What a coincidence that today is #GivingTuesday and you posted this yesterday without knowing about Giving Tuesday! Must be something about the holiday season that makes people think of giving.
Very proud of you for participating in the high school program! 🙂
I know! I couldn’t have planned it any better. I didn’t even know Giving Tuesday was a thing.
And thank you!