Why Volunteer
"Be the change you wish to see in the world. " —Gandhi
There are many great reasons to help your community through a commitment to service.
Service work helps to rebuild communities and solve serious social problems.
It provides much-needed social services that, oftentimes, would not be possible without caring citizens willing to devote their time.
Service is a great way to help your community, but the personal benefits of service are impressive too.
Did you know that service is great for your health?
- Service can improve self-esteem, reduce heart rates and blood pressure, increase endorphin production, enhance immune systems, buffer the impact of stress, and combat social isolations.
- Service also improves the well being of individual volunteers because it enhances social support networks. People with strong social support networks have lower premature death rates, less heart disease, and fewer health risk factors.
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Beyond the benefits to your health and your community, service also has a tremendous impact on your personal and interpersonal development.
- A reduction of negative stereotypes
- An increase in appreciation for diversity
- Greater self-knowledge
- Greater spiritual growth
- Increased personal efficacy
- Increased desire to include service to others in one's career plans
- Increased ability to work with others
- Increased leadership skills
- Increased feeling of being connected to a
- Increased connection to the college experience through closer ties to students and faculty
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Why SERVICE?
- To strengthen the River Falls community
- To develop leadership skills
- To understand how the economic, political, and cultural structures of our society affect others.
- To gain experience in your academic or future career field while making a difference in your life and the lives of others.
- To develop and experience community with and among other student volunteers as well as with the people you serve.
- To examine your own values, attitudes, and beliefs about the world.
- It is good for your health! Studies show that, like exercise or meditation, helping others on a regular basis creates a sense of well-being and reduces stress.
- To develop a life-long habit of service, a concern for others, and an understanding for social justice.
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Where do I begin?
Start by considering the time you have in your week to commit to an agency.
Remember everyone has 168 hours in their week.
If you break down your class schedule, study time, time for work, family, and friend, you will still find that you have several hours a week that are left for service in your life.
Also, don't forget to think about what type of an organization you would be interested in serving.
Think about social issues that you are passionate about and would like to investigate further.
You might also want to consider future career possibilities and what skill sets you can offer an agency.
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