The great benefits of volunteering

The crisis in South African hospitals and schools due to the nationwide strike by civil servants has had the positive benefit of stimulating a surge in volunteering. While babies requiring intensive care and old people in need of constant medical supervision have been abandoned by the people who should be caring for them, many South Africans have been roused to volunteering in state hospitals. As this year’s matriculants are having to miss the Preliminary exams because of teachers who have walked out on them, offers from volunteers have staved off a total collapse of the educational system. Classes have been held in people’s homes, sports clubs, church halls and anywhere else that the matriculants and volunteer teachers could gather.

This spirit of giving time and skill to those in need, is the essence of volunteering. Not only does it serve the community, but volunteers usually say that the experience did more for them than for the people they intended to help. Perhaps the spontaneous reaction from volunteers in response to the South African strike will expand the spirit of volunteering in the country and provide much needed skills in areas such as schools, day care centres for children, old age homes and many other charitable institutions.

If we are to live sustainable lives and not allow ourselves to waste, we should also be making the best use of our energy and time. Many of us simply indulge in the personal gratification of entertainment and keeping busy with unproductive nonsense. A conscious decision to use time in the most constructive manner will increase the desire for active engagement in helping people and being of value to the community. The new trend in tourism is to take people to where they can have real experiences in the community and not just be passive visitors to the regular tourism sights.
Volunteering in another country has become a smart way to travel in a more constructive manner.

Volunteering is also a very good antidote to passive and boring retirement. Many retirees these days are in good health and are able to use their resources to make a contribution.

People who have portfolio lives are ideally placed to do serious volunteering and to make a difference.

Here's more on the benfits of volunteering: http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/resources/how-to-guides/volunteer/doc/benefits-of-volunteering.html