Community Volunteerism Benefits Those Who Receive & Those Who Give

Volunteers are a vital part of any community. Whether it’s helping those who are less fortunate, helping animals, volunteering in schools, other youth programs, or countless other volunteer outlets, communities need volunteers to continue to thrive.

At JBT, we’ve provided financial support to a number of organizations within the last year, including the Palmyra Public Library, the Lebanon Division of Youth Advocate Programs, the American Heart Association, Lititz Warwick Community Chest, Manheim Community Library, Ephrata Public Library, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Cleona Playground Association, Girls on the Run, Lebanon Valley Family YMCA, Lebanon Family Health Services and more.

While financial support is always appreciated, organizations rely on volunteers; which is why you’ll find JBT team members donating their time to organizations like Junior Achievement, PROBE, Lebanon Valley Chamber of Commerce, Affordable Housing Council of Lebanon County, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Obviously, JBT team members are not alone. So many individuals and businesses throughout the region volunteer their time and resources to help community organizations carry out their worthwhile work. But how much value do volunteers actually bring?

The Value of Volunteering

The Independent Sector is an organization that researches and compiles statistics about charitable activities. The group takes the data and determines an Estimated National Value of Each Volunteer Hour on an annual basis.

For 2018, that estimated value was $25.43 an hour. Clearly, unpaid volunteers are very valuable!

Volunteering Benefits the Volunteer

Community volunteerism is a great way for people to support something they believe in and it makes a tremendous difference in so many people’s lives. But, volunteering also brings a number of benefits to the volunteer as well.

First, volunteering makes you feel good because you know you’re helping improve life for others, yet that is just the beginning of the benefits.

Among the other proven benefits of volunteering are increased socialization, the establishment of new friendships and assistance in fighting feelings of loneliness. Basically, volunteering in your community helps you build your own personal community.

Volunteering has also been shown to result in living longer, having less disease, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and enjoying better overall health.

Community volunteerism benefits the organization and the volunteer – truly a win-win situation for everyone that leads to stronger, healthier and better communities. Consider looking for volunteer opportunities in your area.