HOWYOU CANHELP
GoVolunteer(govolunteer.com.au)
andSeekVolunteer(volunteer.com.au)
havetoolsontheirwebsitestohelp
youfindvolunteerjobsinyourarea
tofityourskillsandinterests.
GoVolunteercanalsoputyouintouch
witha VolunteerResourceCentre
nearyou.Call(02) 62514060 or
gototheorganisation’swebsite
for more information.A
s wediveintotheseason
ofgivingstuff,it’sworth
stoppingtothinkabout
thevalueofgivingyourtime:
longerlife,bettermentalhealth
andbetterfunctioninolderage
arealllinkedtovolunteering.
“Doctorsshouldprescribeit
asa preventivehealthmeasure,”
saysAdriennePicone,CEO
ofVolunteeringAustralia.
“Humansneedpurposeanda
senseofconnectiontoothers.
Volunteeringtickstheseboxes.”
Sowhyisdoinggoodsogood
forus?Onetheoryisthatit
reducesstressanditspotentially
harmfuleffectsonthebody.It
alsopromptsthebrainto
produce‘feelgood’endorphins
thatresultina ‘helper’shigh’–
thepositiveemotionsthat come
fromhelpingothers.
It’sbeneficialforallagestoo.
“Youngpeople’smentalhealthis
a hugeissueandvolunteering
isonewayofhelpingbuildthe
resiliencethatbuffersusagainst
problems,”saysAssociate
ProfessorThomasNielsonofthe
UniversityofCanberra’s Faculty
ofEducation.
“SomeAustralianhighschools
weavevolunteeringintothe
schoolcurriculum– arranging
for students to perform forpeopleinagedcare,forinstance,
orcleaningupthelocalcreek
whenlearningaboutwater.
Theseprogramshave,insome
cases,reducedabsenteeism.”
ProfessorNielsenadvises
parentstonurturea habitof
helping.“Kidsexpecttoget
stuff,butthey’renotalways
expectedtogive.Involvethemin
householdtasksfromanearly
age– it’sa wayofgivingthem
opportunitiestohelpothers.”
“Forteenagers,volunteeringcan
helpbuildconfidence,gives
thempracticalskills,andlooks
goodona CV,”addsPicone.
There’snospecificcriteriafor
successfulvolunteering.“It’s
aboutwillingnessandfinding
somethingthat’sa goodfit.It
doesn’thavetotakeupa lotof
time– youcouldhelpoutat
school,volunteerforspecific
events,orbecomeinvolvedwith
anorganisationsuchastheState
EmergencyService,”shesays.
Whataboutvolunteeringfor
a goodcausethisChristmas?
“Rolescanfillupearlyatthis
timeofyear.Ifyoucan’tfind
anythingsuitable,whynotmake
yourNewYear’sresolutiontogive
thegiftoftimein 2020 ?”#
December5 isInternational
Volunteer Day.“Doctorsshouldprescribevolunteering
asa preventativehealthmeasure– it’s
thatgoodforyourbody,mindandsoul.”
Adrienne Picone, CEO, Volunteering AustraliaIllustration by Domenic Bahmann.Volunteeringmakesyouandthosearoundyou
feelgood– andcomeswithsomecompelling
health benefits too, writesPaula Goodyer.Health
HANDS UP
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