18 Meaningful Ways to Volunteer Your Time While Boosting Mental Health
One of the most meaningful ways to spend your time is volunteering to help others. From working with veterans to fostering kittens, there are many incredible ways to volunteer.
What Does Volunteering Do to Your Mental Health?
Volunteering has several mental health benefits, such as stress reduction, preventing feelings of isolation, increased confidence, a developed sense of purpose, and gratitude and happiness. Harvard Health shares that volunteering is also known to help with depression because you become more socially connected.
Helpful Ways to Volunteer Feeding Others
Do you have a heart to serve others? Consider volunteering in one of the many ways people are helping to feed America.
1. Volunteer Your Time at a Soup Kitchen
A quick Google search will reveal soup kitchens near you that need assistance. Look for posted hours and days when they need volunteers to set up and serve meals to people experiencing homelessness.
2. Help Out at Your Local Food Bank
Another rewarding way to volunteer your time is at the local food bank. My stepmom finds immense joy in this and fills me in on the details when we catch up on Sundays. Some churches also host food pantries and need volunteers to assist.
3. Host a Canned Food Drive
Host a canned food drive and donate the collections to the food bank. One of my favorite ways to volunteer as a teenager was to walk door to door collecting canned foods for my school’s food drive. Get involved in your kid’s school food collections. Many churches also host canned food drives and are grateful for volunteers who help organize and carry out that mission.
4. Deliver Meals to Seniors
Deliver meals for Meals on Wheels. Their website boasts: “Volunteers are the lifeblood of the Meals on Wheels movement.” This fantastic service provides food for seniors in your community who may otherwise be hungry and alone.
Best Ways to Volunteer Helping Veterans
I’m an American veteran and can attest to the fact that they are in need of much better care for their services and sacrifices. Here are a few ways you can help.
5. Volunteer Through Various Veteran Programs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website has several volunteer programs for individuals, students, and business corporations and a volunteer transportation network.
6. Host a Fundraiser for Veterans
Host a fundraiser through the Wounded Warrior Project. You can host your own fundraiser at galas, BBQs, sporting events, and more. However, the Wounded Warrior Project also has designated fundraisers for golf events, schools, and youths, as well as live streaming and gaming.
7. Drive a Disabled American Veteran (DAV)
Get involved with Disabled American Veterans (DAV). Sign up to transport veterans to and from their Veterans Affairs (VA) medical appointments. Volunteer your help to a VA facility or assist veterans in your local community.
Pawesome Ways to Volunteer With Animals
There are a couple of ways to volunteer your time caring for and loving our furry, four-legged friends. Can you think of a better mental health boost than cuddling dogs?
8. Help Out at Your Local Animal Shelter
The local animal shelters are always seeking help cleaning kennels, walking dogs, brushing animals, feeding, and performing a multitude of other tasks that are necessary for the facility to function properly.
9. Foster Animals in Your Home
My mother-in-law fostered cats for her local American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Local animal shelters are often overrun and require assistance fostering litters of kittens.
Rewarding Ways to Volunteer in Your Community
There are numerous other ways to volunteer within your community. Here are a handful of much-needed ways you can get involved.
10. Become a Chemo Angel
Become a Chemo Angel, where you are assigned to a patient to send encouragement through letters, uplifting cards, and gifts. You can also volunteer to become a Chemo Prayer Angel.
11. Help Build Homes
There are plenty of volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity to build homes in your local communities or travel to others.
12. Become a Nature Volunteer
Become a Nature Volunteer at your local Parks and Rec operation and help clean up the parks. Alternatively, volunteer with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Wildlife Conservations, or the Rainforest Alliance.
13. Plant Trees in Your Community
Do you want to give back to the environment? Visit the Arbor Day Foundation to learn how you can make an impact by planting trees in your community.
14. Help Around Hospitals and Medical Centers
Check with local hospitals and medical centers to find out how you can volunteer your services. Some may have you deliver flowers and mail to patients, socialize with patients, and help with gift shop operations. Others need help with patient transport, rocking babies, and cleaning tasks.
15. Spend Time With Seniors
Search for senior centers in your area that are looking for volunteers to assist with the often forgotten-about senior population. Also, check out Elders Helpers to be connected with elders looking for help carrying groceries, running errands, making phone calls, writing letters, reading, cleaning, and cooking.
16. Volunteer at the Community Arts Center
Many community art centers need volunteers to help with various tasks and events. Some also need volunteers for camp counselors.
17. Get Involved at Your Kid’s School
One of the best ways a parent can volunteer is by getting involved in their children’s school activities. From helping with fundraiser events to tutoring and mentoring, contact their school to see where you can lend your services.
18. Volunteer at the Library
Do you enjoy book energy? Volunteer your time at the local public library. From decorating for events and classes to supporting fundraising efforts for special purposes, there are many tasks the library needs volunteers to do.
Read More: 10 Hobbies That Improve Focus and Mental Health
Hobbies are an essential part of maintaining mental health. It’s important to nurture activities that spark creativity, bring in your focus, and fill you with joy. Here are a few fun hobbies that improve mood, focus, and mental health. Enjoy!
10 Hobbies That Improve Focus and Mental Health
15 Easy Ways to Practice Gratitude and Change Your Life
Did you know that the art of practicing gratitude has many life-changing benefits? From verbally expressing it with a simple “Thank you” to practicing it during the day, gratitude is an incredible gift for both the giver and receiver.
15 Easy Ways to Practice Gratitude and Change Your Life
CJ Ervin is a father of two, husband, and self-professed comic book and money geek. He is an army veteran who served two tours of duty. When he's not advocating for American veterans' mental health, he enjoys immersing himself in Marvel and D.C. fandoms.
