Volunteering can be defined as acting in the service of others without expecting anything in return. I recently led a psychoeducational group on the benefits of volunteering and wanted to share some information I found in preparation for this.
Volunteering is incredibly beneficial for not only the people being served, but for you as well as the server. It can promote feelings of productivity and purpose and often provides a sense of routine and structure to your day. Perhaps one of the most beneficial things volunteering can give to you is connection with others, which combats feelings of isolation and depression. Finally, helping people who have been in situations similar to your own can be very healing.
I was surprised to find that there are different types of categories of volunteering. The ones I wanted to elevate in this article are formal volunteering, informal volunteering, and virtual volunteering. Formal volunteering would be volunteer commitments that are scheduled, planned and in accordance with an establishment.
Then there’s informal volunteering – in my short time here, I’ve seen so much informal volunteering that takes place at Bastion. This community is built upon residents who look out for one another in a special way. Informal volunteering is exactly what it sounds like; it’s the act of serving your neighbor, your family member, or your friend, without expecting anything in return. For example, this can be giving your neighbor a ride to the store or watching your sister’s child. They are actions done out of love and the kindness of your heart.
The last bit of volunteering I wanted to hit on was virtual volunteering – I had never heard of before of virtual volunteering before leading this group, so I wanted to pass two of my favorite opportunities along.
By my Eyes: this is an app you can download on your phone, where you can quite literally be a person’s eyes for them. As a volunteer, you sign up through the app to be an assistant for individuals with visual impairments. Expect to receive a notification, and you relate to a one-way video to whatever the low vision user is looking at. They can hear you, and you can help guide them with tasks like checking an expiration date, locating items in a store, or identifying a piece of mail.
Letters Against Isolation: This is a website. Once you sign up, you receive access to a portal where you get letter-writing opportunities and guidelines. Basically, the purpose of this initiative is to write letters to seniors in care homes across the world. The volunteer is to proofread previously scanned files, or upload books yourself to the site.
There are so many wonderful in-person volunteer opportunities all around this city, however, I think this is a great way to garner connections with others while staying out of this summer heat! Happy Volunteering!