Volunteering is a powerful and selfless act that can profoundly impact the lives of those who participate and the communities they serve. By giving your time, skills, and energy to assist others, you can make a meaningful difference in the world around you, while also reaping numerous personal benefits. Whether you’re looking to develop new skills, connect with others, or positively impact your community, volunteering can offer a wealth of opportunities and benefits that can enrich your life and the lives of those around you. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance and benefits of volunteering, and provide some insights that might inspire you to get started!
Personal benefits of volunteering
Starting with personal benefits, volunteering can provide individuals with a sense of purpose, fulfilment, and satisfaction. When you volunteer, you are making a positive impact on the lives of others, which can increase your self-esteem, reduce stress, and improve your overall mental and emotional well-being. Additionally, volunteering can help you gain new skills, knowledge, and experiences that can be useful in your personal and professional life. Volunteering can provide valuable opportunities for personal growth and development, whether you are learning how to work with people from different backgrounds or developing technical skills in a specific field.
Social and community impact of volunteering
Moving on to the social benefits of volunteering, it provides individuals with opportunities to connect with others and build new relationships. Volunteering can help you meet new people who share similar interests and values, and can be a great way to build a supportive network of friends. This can be especially beneficial for those who are new to a community, or those who are looking to expand their social circle.
Finally, volunteering can significantly impact the community as a whole. When individuals volunteer, they are giving their time and resources to support important causes and initiatives, which can help to improve the quality of life for everyone in the community. This can be particularly true in under-resourced communities, where volunteers can help to provide vital services, resources, and support to those in need. Whether you are working with a local charity or providing assistance to a community organisation, your volunteer efforts can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those around you.
WAYS YOU CAN SUPPORT MOAS AS A VOLUNTEER
Spread the Word
For many organizations advocacy and education is a vital parts of their work, and MOAS is no different. We must share the stories and testimony of those we support and raise the voices of those calling for change. We at MOAS run an campaign around the promotion of safe and legal migration routes, which you can sign up to support. We also constantly publish news and articles about the crises in which we work, the communities we assist, and the needs that still haven’t been met.
By signing up to our newsletter, following us on social media and sharing our news and updates you will be acting as another voice calling for change, you will be helping us to reach more people with our education and advocacy activities and you will be introducing new people to MOAS and the work we do.
Share Your Talents
We all have different skills and talents and you should never underestimate your potential. Whether you choose to share your time in person, providing another pair of hands to a project in need of man-power, or offer your skills remotely to provide MOAS with capacity in your area of expertise, there is no bad way to share your gifts with others.
If you’re interested in how you can get involved or where your skills may be best used please send us an email on [email protected] with your CV and an email letting us know where you are and what your availability is and we will work with you to find the best ways for you to get involved.
One of MOAS ESC volunteers, Daniela, expressed it this way:
“Joining the MOAS team in Malta as an ESC volunteer has been a great opportunity that allowed me to learn important things within the humanitarian field and gain practical and valuable skills that will be a great basis for any future job. Working with MOAS has further allowed me to grow both personally and professionally, and I was able to create amazing relationships with so many great people. Taking this role as an ESC volunteer also allowed me to move to a different European country and immerse myself in a new culture with a fascinating history. I recommend this experience to every young person out there willing to discover a new reality and volunteer within a humanitarian organisation that implements different projects around the world, helping vulnerable communities and individuals”.
Final considerations
In conclusion, volunteering is an essential aspect of our lives, offering personal, social and community benefits. By giving your time, energy, and skills to assist others, you can positively impact the lives of those around you and enrich your own life. Whether you are looking to develop new skills, connect with others, or make a difference in your community, volunteering can provide various opportunities for personal growth, social connection, and community impact.
If you are interested in the work of MOAS and our partners, please follow us on social media, sign up to our newsletter and share our content. You can also reach out to us any time via [email protected]. If you want to support our operations, please give what you can at www.moas.eu/donate.
