Changing the world, one good deed at a time
Many adults are retiring earlier and have a great reservoir of energy, skills and time on their hands.
Many have a strong desire to be a part of something and some just find they develop a stronger connection with their communities through volunteering.
Volunteers today are looking to utilize their specific set of skills to benefit a member of the community. Some volunteers prefer project-oriented assignments while others prefer a more sporadic one.
So, if you’re ready to break out of your routine and create more joy, why not explore volunteer opportunities that are interesting and rewarding and include the added benefit of providing someone with the ultimate gift: your time.
Over 50 years, RSVP volunteers have clocked millions of hours. With the value of a volunteer’s hour established by The Independent Sector at $29.95, the savings to the community are significant, not to mention the goodwill that has resulted. The power of that collective effort simply cannot be quantified.
Because of funding cuts and shifts in priorities, nonprofits like RSVP have been forced to do more with less. Bad economic times mean more of the population is in need of free services.
RSVP has been able to rely on the expertise of their pool of volunteers and generous donors and funders to continue to provide and expand services where they’re needed most.
At the onset of the pandemic, RSVP was able to quickly pivot most of their programs to include a virtual option, allowing a broader range of volunteers to offer their services from their homes.
Statistics resulting from volunteer participation are impressive:
• Through several children’s literacy programs, students have improved their reading and comprehension skills and been able to get back on track with learning. Area nonprofits have consulted with business executives through RSVP’s VEC program to expand their operating expertise, enabling them to assist additional community members with services.
• In the last two years alone, 9,000 adults 65+ received accurate and unbiased information about Medicare health coverage choices, in some cases saving beneficiaries thousands of dollars.
• Adults received literacy training in ESL or prepared to take their GED exams, exposing them to better employment opportunities.
• A new program was developed in 2022 to provide adults with digital technology training, enabling parents to communicate with their student’s teacher, access community resources, telehealth appointments or simply connect socially.
• STEM professionals recorded career videos to inspire students to explore diverse careers through their presentations.
• Volunteer tutors work with disadvantaged students and low-income veterans preparing to enter college to increase math proficiency via virtual sessions, (perfect for corporate employees who can tutor from their work computer, even while traveling for business.)
• Volunteers dedicate their time to support historic sites and nature preserves, hospitals and hospices, museums and libraries, cultural organizations, crisis hotlines, food pantries and many other agencies.
Volunteering strengthens
ties to the community and exposes us to other people who share common interests. It’s a great opportunity to do something you’re passionate about or try something completely new. Helping others can improve our own outlook on life, help with depression and it can strengthen your immune system.
Once you start volunteering, you’ll soon realize just how much you are truly needed. Feeling appreciated and valued are real boosters for self-confidence, mental stimulation, and life satisfaction.
Doing something enjoyable can be energizing. It can renew creativity and reveal a vision for something bigger than this moment that can recharge your personal and professional life.
Did you know that helping others can make you
happier and more fulfilled? In fact, studies have shown that the more folks volunteer, the happier (and healthier) they are.
The most gratifying feeling we can have is to know that our lives are making a difference by improving the circumstances of someone less fortunate. Really helping someone else is a powerful feeling that resonates deeply and has an enduring effect.
Today’s volunteer opportunities are varied and rewarding. A great place to start exploring is through RSVP, an organization that is aware of needs in local communities and has been placing volunteers for 50 years throughout the Greater Philadelphia area. The organization has created several unique programs that address and respond
to the needs of some of our area’s most vulnerable residents.
Nonprofit RSVP’s programs improve the lives of vulnerable populations
by focusing on education and wellness. For information on volunteering, visit rsvpmc.org, email volunteer123@rsvpmc.org or call 610-834-1040, ext. 123.