Our younger generations must develop a habit of volunteering and devoting themselves to those in need. Volunteering creates a lifetime value of giving back to others with your most precious commodity, your time.
Developing this habit is difficult for several reasons.
First, the average attention span is less than ten seconds. It is difficult to focus on volunteering as a priority, especially for this generation.
Second, sometimes we have a “me” instead of “we” mentality.
Third, our packed schedules do not allow for it.
This past November, our organization took a group of six high school aged Taking Shape Star Leaders to volunteer with the Uplift Organization in downtown Kansas City. This was a six-hour volunteer job to feed and offer clothing, shoes, and health essentials to the homeless in the Kansas City area. Each group of girls were divided in half with two adult supervisors. They loaded the van with a “store” of essential items such as coats, hats, gloves, toiletries, and other essential items. They also had a warming station in the back of the van that delivered a pre-prepared hot meal and hot chocolate.
We spent four hours driving to predetermined areas where the homeless would gather. We would honk the horn, and the homeless friends would come out of their homeless areas which consisted of tents, tree brush, tin made huts. They would come up to the van and we would provide a hot meal and basic necessities such as coats, hats, gloves and toiletries.
It was extremely impactful for our Star Leaders.
Here are some of the benefits that our young leaders got from the volunteer event with the Uplift organization:
It allowed them to see a broader perspective in the world.
Warmed their hearts and they felt good about their time spent helping others.
They met amazing humans that each had a story to share.
Impacted them to inspire others by telling their stories. They came back to our dance studio and were moved to start a donation drive to help Uplift organization by gathering needed items.
Volunteering can provide a healthy boost to one’s self-confidence, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. You are doing good for others and the community, which provides a natural sense of accomplishment. Your role as a volunteer can also give you a sense of pride and identity.
Other benefits of volunteering:
Connects you with other people
Allows you to contribute to a cause
Gets you out of your house and comfort zone
Connects you to your community
Reduces stress and depression
Improves self-confidence
Boosts happiness
Encourages learning
Empowers you to actively make a difference in the world
Gives you the opportunity to change the negative conditions we often see in the news and on social media
Volunteering is an excellent way to uplift yourself and the world around you. It also helps prevent us from sitting on our couches, scrolling through social media, or binging Netflix all day. Rather than comparing ourselves to others from behind a screen, we are building relationships and assisting our fellow community members. Start with brainstorming causes you care about, do a quick Google search, and explore your options for volunteering today!
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