Positive impact of volunteering on a young person’s well-being
April 16, 2021 Well-being
Parents
Let's start at the beginning. What is volunteering? There are several definitions, but to make it as simple as possible, let's go with the principle that it is work done without pay.
We could add the notion of it being voluntary, but it could be argued that community service is not necessarily voluntary. So let's stick to the basics: working for free.
The benefits of volunteering
It's hard to talk about volunteering in a negative way. It's a concept that has been around forever and is very noble: giving back. Volunteering is about giving your time and energy to others. The benefits, however, are not always fully appreciated.
The cognitive benefits of volunteering
Much research has been done over the years that supports this point. Looking at the logical aspects, we can assume that volunteering helps to improve our self-esteem, because there is an instant gratification when we help others. And indeed, various studies show that this is the case! However, the cognitive benefits go beyond self-esteem.
Volunteering stimulates cognitive, social, and physical activity. Self-esteem is increased, interactions develop various social skills, and physical activity is optimized by performing various tasks.
Volunteer activities have a proven positive effect on neurological and mental health and can help improve cognitive functioning as well. So, there are a host of other reasons to encourage participation in volunteer activities, at the very least, to improve cognitive functioning over the long term.
The economic benefits of volunteering
Of course, the question quickly arises: how can unpaid work have economic benefits? This may seem paradoxical. Certainly, economic well-being is often measured in quantitative terms. There is a clear monetary value, in other words.
Evidence points to the fact that doing volunteer work during high school and college will positively affect social status as well as first job wages.
Teenagers often have their first job during adolescence, so this is a good incentive to start volunteering. Here is a great reason to start getting involved at a young age! Moreover, volunteer work also leads to a quicker return to work after a maternity or paternity leave or a period of unemployment. Still reading? Go volunteer! For YOUR well-being and for the well-being of all!
Our youth and their involvement
First of all, the youth we work with at Mesures alternatives jeunesse de Laval (MAJL) are considered juvenile offenders and they must complete a legal sentence. Community service, or volunteer work, is one of the various legal provisions. Therefore, as mentioned at the start of this article, it is not necessarily purely voluntary. However, our youth benefit from the same advantages as other volunteers through their experience. For some, it is often their first work experience.
In a study conducted with young offenders and various other legal stakeholders, it was found that the majority of them will see positive effects from volunteering, even within the legal context. In terms of youth in general in Quebec, it is interesting to note that 16 to 19 year olds, in 2017, represented the highest percentage of people involved in volunteer activities during the previous 12 months, among the general population aged 16 to 65. This statistic is even more impressive when we consider that it does not count youth doing community service.
National Volunteer Week
The studies and research speak for themselves. What are you waiting for? Let's get involved as a family! Let's give back! Follow the example of our youth and increase the volunteer statistics. April 18-24, 2021 is National Volunteer Week. Let’s celebrate by getting out there to help.
I will leave you with this statement from the Fédération des centers d'action bénévole du Québec website:
“In fact, according to a survey conducted by the FCABQ in November 2020 among people who volunteered during the Covid-19 pandemic, 77% of respondents felt that just being involved had a direct impact on their psychological well-being. They also found that it gave them a real sense of personal fulfillment and increased their self-esteem. Furthermore, numerous studies have proven that volunteering can strengthen the immune system, decrease the incidence of heart disease, and even lower blood pressure!”
References
Oxford Academic, Volunteering in the Community: Potential Benefits for Cognitive Aging
IZA Institute of Labor Economics, The Economic Benefits of Volunteering and Social Class
Université de Montréal, La dérive des travaux communautaires/bénévoles au Québec : échec d’une alternative… ou alternative à un échec
Fédération des Centres d'action bénévole du Québec, Semaine de l’action bénévole 2021
