How Volunteering for a Nonprofit that Provides Social Engagement and Meal Sharing Might Move the Needle toward a Happier World

The 2025 World Happiness Report is out and the data, quite literally, has hit a nerve; namely the vagus nerve, in 142 countries around the globe. You know, that nerve that connects the stomach to the brain? It plays an important role in regulating digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, immune responses, mood, and speech. It’s part of the parasympathetic nervous system, responsible for the “rest and digest” functions. It helps your body calm down after stress and connects your brain to vital organs like your heart, lungs, and digestive tract, making it the longest cranial nerve.

So, what exactly does all this have to do with world happiness and volunteering?
In this year’s Happiness report, meal sharing appeared as an emerging metric of happiness. So much so that nearly 75% of the world’s countries are now tracking it. According to the report, “Sharing meals proves to be an exceptionally strong indicator of subjective wellbeing – on par with income and unemployment. Those who share more meals with others report significantly higher levels of life satisfaction and positive affect, and lower levels of negative affect. This is true across ages, genders, countries, cultures, and regions.”

But we’re mentally starving. At least in America. The report goes on to say, “In the United States, using data from the American Time Use Survey, we find clear evidence that Americans are spending more and more time dining alone. In 2023, roughly 1 in 4 Americans reported eating all of their meals alone the previous day – an increase of 53% since 2003. Dining alone has become more prevalent for every age group, but especially for young people.” Depressing, for sure, but therein lies the opportunity! Each of us has the ability to engage with our families, neighbors, our friends, classmates, coworkers – even those we don’t know – who may be suffering. Just by sharing a bite!

One strategy for making a significant impact would be seeking out volunteer opportunities that bring people together to dine such as senior dining cafés, just like Neighborly offers at eight locations throughout Pinellas County. Additionally, Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver hot, nutritious meals to homebound seniors, but more importantly, they spend a few minutes engaging with those they look in on, conducting informal wellness checks, and reporting concerns back to staff. These types of volunteerism specifically target some of our most vulnerable citizens. In other blogposts I’ve mentioned the myriad benefits of volunteering from increased longevity to greater functional ability and lower pain levels. Science shows us we benefit by helping others a mere two hours a week. What if one of those hours was spent delivering Meals on Wheels, or serving senior diners? Sounds like a good “pair and share” opportunity that quite literally could double the impact, and possibly move that needle toward a healthier, happier world.

At Neighborly, Caring is at the Center of All We Do.