Volunteer in NYC: 4 Benefits of Getting Involved

In a city the size and density of NYC, a large number of organizations offer a variety of volunteer opportunities year-round. What better way to show love for the city you live in than to give your time and skills to help those around you that need them most? Taking a break from the hustle and bustle of your daily life and giving some time to others can provide a long list of benefits.

Why volunteer in New York City?

Besides the personal benefits of satisfaction, pride and a sense of accomplishment you may experience, volunteering can provide some unexpected benefits as well:

 

1. Improved Health: Research says that, “those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.”

2. Career Growth: Add new skills and experience to your resume and LinkedIn profile. According to The New York Times, volunteering could even lead to paid work. Nonprofits accounted for 10.3 percent of employment in the U.S. private sector in 2012, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3. Time Value: Spending time volunteering makes you feel like you have more time, according to research from Harvard Business Review: “Giving even a small amount of time to someone else should make you feel you can do more in the time you have.”

4. Community enhancement: Volunteering can also have immeasurable effects on the community that you engage with. Depending on your role and the organization, volunteering may provide critical services to youth, families and pets, improve education, support the arts, beautify the community, and more.

 

Throughout the world, volunteers play a critical role in society in a formal or informal way. To get an idea of the impact of volunteering, in the United States alone, over 62 million volunteers contributed 7.9 billion hours of service in 2015, contributing a value of $184 billion, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service. Think about how much better off our communities are with all of this goodwill!

Volunteer opportunities in NYC

In order to help jumpstart your journey into volunteering, connect with out content partner Idealist to find volunteer opportunities that pertain to your interests. Over the coming weeks, we will be highlighting a wide variety of volunteer opportunities around the city. You will find that the best use of your time will be spent working toward a cause you care about, so get familiar with the opportunities we present and reach out to apply. No matter which organization you choose, NYXT is excited and proud that you want to make a difference!

 

To see how others are making a difference in their community, view the NYXT Showing Up series

 

Download the Guide to NYC Community Involvement

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