Selflessness in its truest sense is the core of volunteerism. Time, energy and skills are oftentimes the most essential elements given by a volunteer. The latter refers to a person who willfully donates his/her time to help promote a good cause.
Giving oneself for the benefit of others has a strong normative and moral basis in many cultures around the world. Giving is a universal language innate in individuals, fostering humanity and mutual aid. Volunteerism has its benefits for community development, social cohesion and nation building.
Over time, local and international movements have been instituted and mobilized to ignite volunteerism, especially within the youth. There are several ways by which volunteering can be done, one is through Community-based volunteering. These are often programs which could either be formal or informal, done locally and are characterized by care and support for people living in similar circumstances within the community. Another type is International volunteering, which entails a rather bigger movement, wherein communication and action flows between people and countries. Volunteering can also be a Professional one, involving skilled individuals more often associated with a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
Professional volunteers can either be in the active or retired service.
The benefits of volunteering are said to be enormous and significant, more for the volunteer than the actual recipients. Mental and physical health issues as prevalent as the spread of Covid-19, can actually be addressed by volunteering in worthwhile causes, most of which need not require physical presence nowadays but by virtual means. It provides individuals with an avenue to be valuable contributors to the community and help as well to redirect their thoughts and for some to keep themselves busy and distracted.
We have witnessed the noble stories of men and women who have dedicated their lives in the service of other people, those who volunteered to help at the height of the pandemic in the simplest ways, pulling their limited resources, cooked meals, packed relief goods, went house to house to distribute the same.
Volunteering makes a difference and creates a positive impact on one’s life.
