10 Reasons To Volunteer

It can be hard to find the time to volunteer in our hectic lives but there are many reasons to prioritize giving back to others in your weekly routine.

When you volunteer at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area, you can make a difference in the lives of youth and give back to our community. Within the first few minutes of walking into a Club, you know you’re in a special place. Filled with the sounds and energy of spirited children and caring professionals, the Club is a fun and hopeful environment. Whether you help with an event, coach a game, or work on a beautification project, you’ll have the opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of youth who needs us most.

Working with youth today means a brighter future for everyone! Here are many reasons why anyone and everyone should volunteer.

1. Volunteering Can Make You Happy

The more you volunteer, the happier you will be, according to a study at the London School of Economics. They concluded that volunteers weekly reported a 16% increase in happiness over non-volunteers!

2. Volunteering Lowers Stress and Anxiety

Helping and working with others has been shown to drastically improve psychological health by decreasing stress and anxiety. There is nothing more uplifting and inspiring than working together to help others.

3. Volunteering Provides Work Experience

Volunteering can be used in any field as a way to get valuable career experience. Serving for Boys & Girls Clubs can be especially applicable if you plan to enter a social work field, such as a teacher, counselor, therapist, psychologist, social worker, or pediatrician. Even if you do not plan to go into those fields, working with local youth helps to develops many personal skills, and might make your relevant experience more attractive to future employers.

4. Volunteering Helps to Connect You With Others

Volunteering expands your ability to connect and relate to all sorts of different people. Whether you are working alongside a youth, helping to beautify a Clubhouse, or serving on our behalf at an event, the ways volunteering opens up your heart can be tremendous. Volunteering is all about uniting people from diverse backgrounds to work toward a common goal.

5. Volunteering Strengthens The Community

Community service and volunteerism are an investment in your community and the people who live in it. At Boys & Girls Clubs, our program supports families, mentors local youth, and helps to improves academic performance. Your help in our organization matters because you are making an impact in our community.

6. You Can Make New Friends

People who volunteer alongside you and the ones you serve can become lifelong friends. Sometimes these genuine relationships develop in surprising ways!

7. Volunteering Initiates Personal Growth

Most people who volunteer would say it improved their self-esteem, helped them be more grateful as well as generous, and gave them perspective. Putting yourself in situations where you have to humble yourself and give back oftentimes causes one to become more introspective. Beginning regular volunteer work is a great way to become the kind of person you have always wanted to be.

​8. Volunteering Conserves Resources

The work you do matters to BGCCA in many ways. Volunteering helps to save our community and the programs you serve thousands of dollars. Every $1 invested in Boys & Girls Clubs returns $10.32 in economic benefits to Club members, their families and society. These include social benefits, such as mental health, education and healthy behaviors, not accounted for in a purely financial ROI.

9. Volunteering Teaches You New Skills

Opportunities to volunteer can provide the skills to build a relationship, build a website, or play a new game. There’s no limit to what you can learn through your volunteer experiences.

10. You Will Feel Awesome

The satisfaction you will gain from volunteering is indescribable. The boost in happiness, the humility in servitude, the gratitude that comes from perspective, and the self-esteem you will gain, will make you proud to know you are an awesome volunteer.

Volunteering for Boys & Girls Clubs can benefit both our organization and your personal well-being. Apply today and join our efforts to make a difference in the lives of youth in the Capital Area.

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Learn more about volunteering with BGCCA: www.bgccapitalarea.org/volunteer

Please note: Background checks are required for any volunteer that regularly interacts with youth. All potential employees and recurring volunteers are required to be cleared in accordance with the New York State Office of Children and Family Services regulations.

For more information, please contact Soozey Walensky, Director of Community Engagement, at (518) 462-5528 ext. 1009 or swalensky@bgccapitalarea.org.

See other ways to Get Involved: www.bgccapitalarea.org/getinvolved