By: Amari S.
Volunteering in your community does more than just help others; it strengthens your connection to where you live. A Gallup survey found that 79% of teens who participate in service activities feel connected to where they live. As you volunteer, you become familiar with issues your neighbors face and become part of the solution. Along the way, you meet other volunteers who care about the same issues, whether it is protecting our environment, supporting homeless people, or ensuring that libraries continue to be vibrant community spaces. If you feel like you are making a difference in your community, then you may feel more invested in it.
In addition to building connections, the act of volunteering can help people develop useful skills. Engaging in service activities can lead teens to feel more prepared for their future careers because they gain real-world skills. For example, they may hone their leadership, public speaking, or teamwork skills. Almost half of teens with service experience feel confident they can achieve their career goals, compared to just a third without service experience. I have volunteered to clean parks and plant trees. My goal is to become a doctor one day, and I believe contributing to a healthier environment has strengthened my commitment to helping people through medicine. Helping create clean spaces for people to experience fresh air, take walks, and spend time with loved ones reinforces the impact I can have.
Volunteering can help you develop resilience. About 60% of teens involved in service report feeling confident in solving problems without giving up. This growth may result from being pushed out of your comfort zone. Volunteering might require tackling unfamiliar tasks and learning new skills, which can build confidence. For example, when I first planted trees in a community event, I had to learn techniques and use tools that I did not have any experience with. Even though it was challenging, I worked with a team and we succeeded. Experiences like that make me feel more confident when trying new activities. There will always be a learning curve, but I have learned that with effort and time, I can overcome it.
Which issues in your community do you care about? It could be supporting libraries, helping homeless people, protecting the environment, or any other issue that matters to people around you. Find an organization that directly works on these issues and ask how you can get involved. Your contributions will not only benefit your community but it will impact you, too.