All the Ways We Heal

Why do people volunteer? Typically, we find that people come to Neighborly through existing volunteers who have experienced the rewards of giving back, namely the many ways they see their service help seniors.

And while we all know that food is necessary for a healthy body, we also know Meals on Wheels food actually takes second place to the real highlight of a client’s day: the social connection volunteers offer. Since clients receiving Meals on Wheels are homebound, volunteers are often the only human being they see in the course of their days. In fact, one client said the thing she most looks forward to is 11am when she knows the volunteer will arrive, and that the rest of her days are spent, “looking at the four walls.”

US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy reported that loneliness is as toxic as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. A daily drop in, for even a few minutes, can make an incredible impact on a senior’s life. Want more proof? Read the comments here from our most recent Meals on Wheels client survey.
There are so many volunteer opportunities near you! Click here to get involved!

Volunteerism is a great way to give back and to improve the lives of others, and in part one we looked at how volunteer service improves the lives of those being served. But what you might not know is that the many benefits volunteers provide such as companionship, food delivery, and other assistance, have a beneficial impact on the volunteer as well.

Let’s look at just some of the impacts:

1. Happiness: The London School of Economics found the more one volunteers, the happier they become. A study published in Psychological Science found that as little as two hours of volunteering per week was associated with greater life satisfaction and happiness. Guess how many hours Meals on Wheels volunteers serve each week?!!
2. Better Physical and Mental Health: The Corporation for National & Community Service reported that those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression than those who do not volunteer. Click here to reap all the benefits!
3. In the DoSomething.org report, young adult volunteers out perform their non volunteering peers by getting better grades, too! Click here to sharpen your smarts!

Most of Neighborly’s volunteer opportunities are just two to four hours a week and are near you! To learn more about how you can experience the benefits, visiting our volunteer page here.