Need a New Year's Resolution?

The start of the new year symbolizes change and new beginnings. For many people, this means that it is time to decide on a New Year’s resolution so that they can start 2022 off on the right foot. There are popular resolutions to which many people adhere: eating healthier, working out more, getting more sleep. For a majority of people, resolutions are a self-interested ordeal; it’s a habit or routine that only concerns themselves. However, 2022 is the perfect year to start forming resolutions that impact or influence other people. After spending almost two years dealing with Covid-19, 2022 is the year to help build your community into a stronger, more loving place. What’s the best way to do this? Volunteering! Here are some reasons why volunteering can be a beneficial resolution for this year:

1. Volunteering can reduce feelings of stress or sadness within an individual. Because volunteering involves partaking in social interaction within your community, it drastically reduces stress and helps you feel connected to the people around you. Volunteering also gives you a sense of purpose and meaning, and not only will you make others feel appreciated from your service, but you will also feel appreciated for your hard work. Volunteering is a mutually beneficial relationship of gratitude.​
2. Volunteering helps to build new relationships and make new connections. Looking for other people in your community who are selfless, hard-working, and trying to spread love and appreciation through their actions? You’ll find them when you are volunteering. When you take part in service opportunities, you will have the chance to work with other people with similar interests as you. Furthermore, building rapport between people in your community will help you to boost your social skills, and you can learn many valuable lessons from the people that you meet when volunteering.
3. Volunteering keeps people physically active. Instead of spending your time sitting around, staring at your phone, you could be active in the community volunteering. Lots of volunteer opportunities involve moving around a facility, carrying or packaging items or engaging in other physically exerting activities. With long-term dedication to volunteering, you will see positive changes to your health as a result.
4. Volunteering can teach valuable life lessons and practical skills. Every service opportunity that you take part in can teach you a set of valuable skills. For example, if you fold clothes for a nonprofit organization such as Note in the Pocket, you can learn how to sort clothes for the donations to children in Wake County. At Durham Community Food Pantry or the Food Bank, you can learn the process of categorizing and arranging food for storage in the pantry. At You Call This Yoga, you can learn about the impressive benefits of yoga for people of all ages and demographics. There is so much to be learned from your community, and all of that knowledge is at your disposal through volunteering.

Want to make this year memorable? Start by getting involved in your community today! At Triangle Cares, we update our calendar on our website to provide prospective volunteers with current service opportunities in the Triangle area. Check out our “Events” page or “Nonprofit” pages to find the best volunteer opportunity for you!