Volunteering: It's More Than Just Time
Volunteering: It's More Than Just Time
Throughout being a member of JCI I’ve had the opportunity to take part as a volunteer for various events and causes. Sleeping rough on the streets, throwing colour powder during a Colour Dash, cleaning up the beach in Malta, helping animals in shelters and most recently running a retail space for a day.
When I think back to before I was a JCI member I would’ve never thought I would be doing things like this. I thought that my main focus would be solely on university and not spending too much of my student loan too fast! But, although university is a massive focus I love to think about the experiences and the positive impact volunteering makes. Without volunteers many causes simply wouldn’t be able to run.
I have many causes that are close to my heart such as animal welfare causes and environmental causes. That doesn’t mean that I won't help out other causes and sometimes its in funny ways that a volunteering opportunity can come up. For example, the RSPCA Sheffield Branch needed a booklet designing for their annual dinner, volunteering lea ets to inspire people and contact lea etc. I then created these for them, I donated my time to the cause, my skills as a designer and it was all from the comfort of my sofa.
When people think of volunteering many people think of being stuck outside for hours but I’m sat in the SAFE@LAST Charity Chicks Boutique right now typing this article up whilst breaking from serving customers, nice and warm with the radio on. Being a JCI director is a voluntary position. I volunteer my spare time to the organization and to creating positive change. Whether that be a change in myself or in others. Most of the time it ends up being both!
So why should you begin volunteering? Here are our top 3 reasons:
1. Endless learning. Through volunteering, you’ll get the opportunity to gain new skills or use the
skills you already have in new ways that may then bene t you further on! In turn, this will then boost your self-confidence.
2. It Makes you healthy. Putting your focus on helping out others gives you the opportunity to step away from your own stresses and worries. There is a lot of positive energy involved when volunteering. That’s what help causes that warm and fuzzy feeling. A simple thank you can change your whole day.
3. Build Connections. Who knows who you’ll meet through volunteering. You may get a new job opportunity, a new creative business idea and make some new friends during the process.
Want to make an impact? Achieve Awesome with us and see how you can get involved on our website (www.jcishe eld.org.uk) or check our our Facebook or Twitter for the latest volunteering opportunities.
Thanks,
Ryan Pilkington