Volunteering doesn't just make you feel good about your self, it also impacts your personal growth. By volunteering you'll increase your confidence, expand your social network, gain some new skills, and give back to your community.
I started volunteering at a local animal shelter shortly after moving to Denver. I've learned a lot about myself and about animals through my volunteer experience.
The first thing I noticed was that people generally had high expectations for the volunteer position. When I started I wondered how long it would take me to learn all the tasks and responsibilities before I could start helping other animals. I soon found out how wrong I was. I realized that the position required me to focus on one specific task for the entire shift. It made me work harder than I had ever worked in my life. In my mind, I was an expert and I knew what needed to be done.
It took me a few days to realize that the volunteers didn't care how fast I worked. They only cared that I did the job to the best of my ability. This was an eye opener to me. I realized that I was afraid that people wouldn't appreciate my efforts if they knew that I was working super hard. They appreciated my effort regardless of whether it took me 20 minutes or 8 hours.
At my shelter, the volunteers were very diverse in age, gender, personality, and skill level. Everyone worked hard and everyone was appreciated. People respected each other's differences and their efforts and talents. It felt great to have a place where everyone felt like they belonged and people accepted each others differences.
When I left my shelter I was eager to apply the lessons I'd learned and to continue working with animals. I applied for a part-time job that was perfect for my experience and my interests. I was hired immediately and the first week I was on-call for emergencies. I continued to volunteer and eventually landed another full-time job. I was fortunate enough to meet someone at my new workplace who helped me find even more opportunities to volunteer. She introduced me to a volunteer position that is perfect for my skill set and interests.
I volunteered for almost a year and a half, during which I met new people, learned new skills, and gave back to my community. It felt great to help animals and to contribute to my community.
The bottom line is that volunteering is a great way to improve yourself and your social circle. It also makes you feel good and you get to give back to your community.
It is important