Mental Health Matters: Health benefits of volunteering in your community
By Medicine Hat News on October 14, 2017.
Philanthropy [fi-lan-thruh-pee] — selfless concern for human welfare and advancement, usually in the form of donation of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment, and by socially useful generosity The act of volunteering has its obvious benefit to society — working collectively towards a shared goal or task that will make a community stronger and healthier. A hefty donation of money, although very powerful, is not always possible to give; inside that circumstance are the passionate, ambitious community members who give their time, a priceless commodity. One or two hours per week spent volunteering is enough to reap the health benefits that come with it: 1. Decrease the risk of depression — the increase in social interaction builds a unique support system based on commitment; someone who feels isolated can potentially discover a sense of interconnection that may not have been felt before. 2. Increase self-confidence — for individuals who have been through a traumatic event, increasing their self-worth is difficult but absolutely necessary. Feeling a sense of purpose and accomplishment will ease some anxieties that may overshadow the feeling that you are in the right place, at the right time. 3. Stay physically and mentally active — according to a 2009 study by Johns Hopkins University, brain functioning increases with the buzzing movement of thought and body. 4. Happiness — doing something good without anything in return releases a chemical in the brain called dopamine, the same chemical that causes the good feeling that comes from a great workout. 5. Reduce stress — when you volunteer at an organization, you reciprocate meaning and appreciation between each other. Feeling appreciated and acknowledged is calming. 6. Increase your lifespan — a long-term psychological study that compared people of the same marital status, level of income, education and age was conducted in 2003. Half of the participants were volunteers, the other half had never volunteered. The individuals who gave social support by volunteering actually lived longer than those who did not. Not everyone has the disposable income to be able to donate money to a charity or non-for-profit organization of their choice. Money is obviously a very valuable resource; when donated, it provides the opportunity to take each dollar further. For example, donating a can of soup from your pantry to the Medicine Hat and District Food Bank has the value of $1.18; however, if you were to donate $2 cash to the food bank, they would be able to buy upwards of five cans of soup because of the leverage they have as a large organization. The same concept speaks for volunteering. One hour of your time may not seem like much, but as previously said, time is a priceless commodity. Single mothers in our community can certainly speak to the idea that for many individuals, their time is more valuable than money. Be a philanthropist — volunteer in your community and experience the world of benefits. To volunteer for the Canadian Mental Health Association, contact Jason Thunberg, at jthunberg@cmha-aser.ca or visit our website athttp://www.cmha-aser.ca. Mila Joubert is a community engagement specialistat the YMCA Downtown Branch and the Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Southeast Region 14-13
