We all know that eating healthily, regular exercise, and an overall tranquil lifestyle can contribute to a long life filled with joyful days. However, did you know that helping out a local charity can also contribute significantly to your overall health and happiness? Well, if you didn’t realize the benefits of donating or volunteering with a local charity, then read on. Charity Dispatcher wants to help you learn more about just a few of the numerous advantages to aiding a charity in your community. Of course, there are so many other benefits to helping out a charity, which is all the more reason to begin researching the proper organization for you to work with today.
Cultivating a Loving and Strong Sense of Community
The first significant benefit of giving back to your community through volunteering or donating to a local organization is cultivating a loving and strong sense of community. Supporting your fellow citizens, friends, family, neighbors, and even strangers allows humans to connect on a more intimate level. People we once saw as outsiders become a friendly face and become human to us, instead of just another number on the census ballot.
In a world that is constantly battling discrimination, hate, bigotry, inclusions, racism, sexism, ageism, and violent crimes associated with these crippling outlooks, a blossoming atmosphere of love is much needed. By giving back to those in your community, you can reach out a friendly hand and come to a greater mutual understanding.
As you extend a hand to others, it will also inspire and encourage them to do the same, creating a ripple effect of love and support in your area. Therefore, creating a loving and robust sense of community is probably one of the biggest and longest-lasting results of your decision to work closely with a local charity organization.
Possible Career Opportunities or Retirement Plans
Another benefit of working with a local charity is networking. The value of networking cannot be overstated in today’s fast-paced world. Whether you are a younger individual looking for a career or someone older looking for a dedicated task to fill their retirement years, local charities can introduce you to numerous opportunities. As you work with these organizations, you will interact with various businesses, individuals, and companies. Many of these might be looking to add hard-working staff to their payroll. People of all interests, areas of study, and levels of career advancements can find some benefit of networking through their work with local charities.
This, of course, should not be the primary treason you are working with a charity. You might not even intentionally seek to network through a charity, but most likely will establish some valuable connections. Perhaps you work with a charity that aids businesses in the area with the supplies they need. In doing so, you might meet your future employer or a non-profit that you want to become involved with. It doesn’t matter what your goals are. Charities open doors and introduce you to new people in a way that can strengthen your career and community at the same time.
Giving Back Can Help Improve Your Health
Perhaps one of the most significant benefits of working with a local charity is the health benefits. That’s right – giving back can help improve your health in many ways. This goes for both mental and physical health. Some proven physical health benefits of working closely with charities in your area, from soup kitchens to donation centers and even homeless shelters, include lower blood pressure and overall better immune response. Mental health benefits are numerous, including increased self-esteem, lower depression and stress rates, and greater overall happiness and life satisfaction. Furthermore, people who continually give back in their community tend to live longer. Several studies have shown that people 55 years and older who regularly volunteered are less likely to die over five years than people who did not volunteer with a local charity.
Mental health is suffering drastically in our day and age. Suicide rates, depression levels, and a general sense of justification are all unfortunately on the rise. However, choosing to work with a local charity can significantly impact community and individuals’ morale levels. In other words, giving back gives back to you by making you happier. As you help others, the pleasure regions of your brain become more active, like when you give someone a gift. In these cases, the “feel good” chemical dopamine is released alongside its twin oxytocin, known for helping people bond with compassion. MRI scans have shown that volunteers regularly have higher activity along the mesolimbic pathway in their brains, commonly called the brain’s “reward center.” Some people refer to this euphoric feeling as a “helper’s high.” It has been proven to be semi-addictive, which in this case is a wonderful thing.
Helping Those in Need
Perhaps the most obvious reason you would want to work with a local charity is to help those in need. Most people have some issue they see needs to be addressed in their community. You might have one or two concerns that you want to work with closely. These can be anything from helping local homeless individuals work to rescue animals at local shelters or even volunteering at small-scale medical practices. There is an option for everyone, no matter their interests, background, and capabilities. As you give back, you will learn more about your interests and areas you might want to focus on. And you will also encourage others in your community to seek out their interests in giving back. As a result, your community will bond together throughout many areas of giving back, and those in need will get the help they need. Get involved today!
