Become a Volunteer After the COVID19 Lockdown
The Bad News
Andrew Leigh and Nick Terrell in their new book, Reconnected, admit that since the 1960s there has been a gradual disconnection in Australian life, evidenced by such things as fewer people joining community organisations, the flatlining of charitable giving and the decline in the number of people volunteering.
Leigh and Terrell update this decline in voluntary service by saying:
“When COVID-19 upended normal life in Australia in early 2020, two-thirds of Australia’s volunteers cut back on their voluntary activities.”
The Good News
Perhaps the isolation that has increased our disconnection has made us feel what we have been missing during lockdown. Andrew Leigh and Nick Terrell are upbeat about the future and they include research by Stephen Post who offers some positive reasons for us to become a volunteer:
+ Volunteers feel healthier.
+ Volunteers sleep better, are less stressed and better able to adjust to change.
+ Volunteers have a higher sense of self-worth and value to their community.
“Stephen Post argues that volunteering is so beneficial that doctors should prescribe it to their patients, just as many prescribe exercise.”
Joanne Fritz in ‘15 Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering that will Inspire You’, suggests that:
“Volunteering builds community, reduces loneliness, increases socialising, creates new bonds and friendships, helps people develop emotional stability, improves self-esteem, helps people cope with mental illness, increases longevity, reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s, leads to graceful ageing, burns fat, saves lives, improves educational experiences, enhances job prospects, develops corporate communities and is just plain fun.”
Put It to The Test
If we think this is old-time medicine or skewed research, the best way to find out the positive and unexpected benefits is to put it to the test. Apart from what volunteering might do for our health and wellbeing, there’s a lot to suggest that volunteering might do a power of good for the people we serve.
If we begin to volunteer as we come out of the COVID period, we will be starting anew with hundreds of others. Chat to Pauline about local volunteer opportunities or send an email to begin exploring possibilities that fit your time, skills and passion.
Geoff Pound
geoffpound@gmail.com
Image: Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash.