Everybody knows that volunteering is needed by agencies, communities, churches and cities – just to name a few – because funding is always tight and often falls short. There are always jobs or tasks that no one really wants to do, or that no one has the time to do. And, of course, we all know that volunteering is smart.

So smart, in fact, that 81% of HR executives surveyed for the 2013 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey said that when evaluating a job candidate, experience gained through skilled volunteering would be taken into account and that skilled volunteer experience makes a job candidate more desirable. And even so smart that the National Honor Society and most colleges frequently expect and require at least some volunteer experience of their applicants.

Terriann facilitating a yoga class for Hammer individuals.

But the one that gets everyone to volunteer or to keep volunteering even when their lives are already busting at the seams with obligations is that it can be FUN. Friendships are forged, connections are made and new experiences gained. My teenage daughter, who never played a game of basketball in her life, found herself being called “coach” by her team of Hammer individuals when she volunteered to help out the team.  Each week she came home beaming with pride when one of her teammates made a basket or even got off the bench and played. Her friends at school loved joking with her about her “coach” status and began to get interested in volunteering, too. It seemed that each week was a huge success, worthy of some fantastic sports movie, like “Hoosiers” or “Bad News Bears.”  Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?

Volunteer Carli Gonderinger, who will be a senior at Armstrong High School this year, says “Being 17 years old, none of my friends listen to Johnny Cash or Elvis Presley in the car, which means I never get to choose the radio station. Lynn, who I volunteer with, is the one person and friend who understands the twang of country music just like I do.”

“Repeat after me: namaste.”

It’s a no-brainer that volunteering has many benefits … but mostly, it’s just fun and good for the soul.

Be a volunteer today.

Terriann Matejcek
Volunteer Resources Manager
952.277.2430

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