How Does Volunteering Help the Community?
Volunteering helps the community by enabling non-profit organizations to provide food, shelter and services for the less fortunate. These organizations are able to cut costs when volunteers complete tasks that reduce the need for paid personnel.
The cost savings created by volunteers also means more money can be allocated to local improvement projects. For example, when volunteers clear trash from parks and roadways, it frees up time for city employees to focus on other services. The community is beautified when volunteers participate in clean ups, gardening and planting. As of 2014, the estimated value of a volunteer’s time is $15.39 an hour of savings for organizations.
Volunteers provide daycare and eldercare to families that may not be able to afford these valuable services without assistance. Schools are strengthened when volunteers donate time and resources to tutor students, building literacy and knowledge. Support for youth through mentoring and after-school programs helps build the self-esteem and personal growth of community youth, thus encouraging them to become strong citizens and future volunteers.
The interaction between people from diverse backgrounds and the act of working toward a common goal builds camaraderie and promotes teamwork. When a community is doing well as a whole, individuals tend to thrive as well.
