Donate Yourself

We’re getting ready to celebrate volunteering and volunteers this Sunday. United Planet executive director Dave Santulli shares the benefits and joys of donating yourself…

We have Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and of course all the important December religious holidays — Ashura, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

On December 5, we celebrate another kind of holiday.  It is one that celebrates all the people around the world who give their time to others and the world through volunteering.  Now that is something to celebrate!

Volunteering makes you happier and healthier — and helps others, too!

International Volunteer Day is an international day of observance, celebrated every December 5^th, and designated by the United Nations since 1985.  The declared aim of the day is to thank volunteers for their efforts and increase awareness for the importance of volunteering.

Many ask, why should I volunteer?  What’s in it for me?

As researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and elsewhere have shown, and as I think most of us realize with or without the statistics to back it up, the benefits of volunteering are startling.  In fact, I would argue that volunteering is kind of like a magic potion.

Studies show that volunteering gives you a renewed sense of purpose and direction, creates stronger social connections, makes you happier and healthier—not just mentally, but physically.  In fact, one research study shows a longer life expectancy associated with volunteering than even exercise or attending regular religious service.

And all these benefits just refer to the impact on the volunteers.  We haven’t even gotten to the impact which volunteers can make in at home and abroad—not to mention the positive power of example that volunteers set for their families and communities. So why should you volunteer?  It makes you feel good, it makes those you serve feel good.  It is a special way to share a bit of yourself with the world.

Thankfully, many Americans have answered the call to volunteer.  Last year, 60.8 million people or about 26 percent of Americans age 16 or older, volunteered, and over 1,000,000 Americans volunteered abroad. This holiday season, as we celebrate International Volunteer Day, think about giving yourself a gift through donating your time.  You will receive so much more than you ever give.