Image source: Stelter Insights
Happy National Volunteer Month! This month we celebrate and uplift the 1 billion volunteers worldwide for all their contributions (Source: teamstage.io). While these billions of volunteers have a passion for volunteering, some even love volunteering so that they can lend their skills and passions to the volunteer work they do! Whether you have a love for photography, gardening, makeup, or exploring the outdoors, there are countless ways to turn your passions into volunteer opportunities!
Turning your hobbies into volunteer opportunities is a great way to combine your passions with meaningful action. We can all do that by thinking about what sparks joy in our daily lives! What activities are we drawn toward to de-stress, unwind, reinvigorate, energize, inspire, or motivate us? Be it reading, creating art, or cooking, you can take those identified passions and use online platforms such as Idealist, VolunteerMatch, or Catchafire to research local organizations, nonprofits, schools, and initiatives that are searching for that passion and skillset. You can also visit https://www.haloawards.org/award-recipients to learn about some of the organizations in Los Angeles County that are making a difference through volunteer work. Your passion-driven volunteer work can do exponential good in the world by touching lives and bringing joy to yourself and the world around you.
On the flip side, volunteering can also allow you to discover new passions or develop new skills! Volunteering offers opportunities to explore and enhance skills while discovering true passions. For those considering a career change but uncertain about their desired path, volunteering across different roles provides insight into personal values and career aspirations.
All in all, volunteering offers crucial support to individuals, worthwhile initiatives, and the local community. However, it also brings personal benefits to the volunteer. Through volunteering, you may forge new friendships and expand your social networks, engage more deeply in your community, acquire additional skills, and build upon your passions, all while having lasting positive impacts on your community and the world! Happy volunteering, and happy National Volunteer Month!
To read about how volunteering also positively impacts one’s health, visit https://www.haloawards.org/post/by-volunteering-you-are-helping-the-community-and-improving-your-own-health
Sources:
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH. (2019, April 17). https://blog.stelter.com/2019/04/17/how-to-make-the-most-of-national-volunteer-month/
Volunteering Statistics for 2024: How Charitable Are We? (2024). https://teamstage.io/volunteering-statistics/#:~:text=Over%201%20billion%20people%20volunteer,volunteer%2C%20both%20formally%20and%20informally.