…does something by

choice; performs, or offers to

perform, work of one’s own free will.

Offers free help; volunteers to do

charitable or helpful work

without receiving pay for it.

The dictionary defines a volunteer as someone who…

What is a volunteer?

“Volunteers aren’t paid, not because they are worthless, but because they are

priceless.”

Why Volunteer?

It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can sincerely try to

help another

without helping himself.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson   

Why volunteer?

1. The power of the

individual. You can make a difference!

2. The effects on the community. Your

efforts can change lives.

3. The sense of accomplishment. You

can find personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

Volunteering

benefits others and the world we live in. Sometimes it is easy to see those benefits immediately; other times, the ultimate benefits of our actions may occur many years in the future.

The benefits of volunteering

I have been the recipient of love and

service, therefore I can love and serve. There is

great satisfaction in

service to others, in seeing people

and their conditions change.

-- Clarence E. Hodges

Whatever form the benefits take, giving also bring meaning to our own life.

Here is what some volunteers said on how

volunteering personally impacted their own

lives:

-- Dr. Muhib, FESF Volunteer, Pakistan

" Volunteering was not only enriching on a personal level, but also helped me professionally. I learned how to interact with others, and gained a better understanding of those less fortunate.”

“In terms of the experiences and different cultural views, I

have developed a different way of treating people and

approaching problems. I think it was a completely invaluable experience”.

-- A volunteer, and a senior marketing director of a company

“I know that it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to make a difference in this world, but I know we can do it! Even though we are only children, don't let adults forget that we are also the future!”

-- Cody Clark

"It’s easier to forget your own loss when you are busy

helping others."

-- A mother in Oregon, USA

Key benefits and skills gained through volunteering

• Responsibility• Communication skills

• Career

enhancement

• Commitment

• Knowledge

• Pride in

accomplishment

•Affiliation

•Influence

•Altruism(selflessness

)

•Social interaction

Improved health

Fun and variety

80 % of volunteers felt their confidence in their

own abilities had increased through doing volunteer work.

Studies on volunteering have

shown

Helping others is the way to higher individual well-being.

Volunteers are more satisfied with their life than non-volunteers are.

Volunteering can provide development indirectly, such as through

• Project management• People handling • Communication skills

Dr. Albert Schweitzer, volunteer doctor to Africa,

commented,

“The only ones among you who will be really

happy are those who will have sought

and found how to

serve.”

Everyone has something to give; time, money, wisdom, knowledge, talents, or experience. Each one of us can

positively affect the lives of those we meet.

“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.”

    -- Sir Winston Churchill