Sophie Gerth (MSc in Gender, Media and Culture) spends some time reflecting on her experiences with volunteering and what she has found to be profoundly valuable. In the past, she has done a variety of kinds of volunteering, from voter registration to helping at cat shelters, all of which she finds to be impactful on her life.
When we talk about volunteering, there is often an emphasis to present the benefits and values as something that can be quantifiable on a resume or a CV. It’s the natural way to present information in the society we live in, but today, let’s talk about the things that might not go on a CV. Recognizing these aspects of volunteering are just as important and often become our most significant take-aways from an opportunity.
- 1. Friendship: finding friends in unexpected places
At risk of sounding predictable, one of the most valuable things volunteering has given me is the gift of friendship. Unsurprisingly, this is not something that makes my resume or CV, and yet, I find that it is one of the most impactful aspects of volunteering. Whether it be building friendships with your fellow volunteers, with leaders in an organization, with the people you might meet along the way, these relationships can often last well beyond the time of the volunteering opportunity itself. Additionally, what I appreciate about volunteering if that it often introduces me to people that I might not have crossed paths with or called a friend. For example, before I arrived at LSE I would volunteer with a local cat shelter; I was by far the youngest volunteer in my shift by about 30 years. This did not stop me from forging meaningful connections with my volunteering colleagues—in fact, I still keep in touch with my shift partner, Carole, to this day. She has been a cheerleader alongside my journey to London and grad school despite the time and distance that now separates us. I wouldn’t trade that friendship for anything and though it doesn’t make it on the precious and limited space of my CV, it is something that has truly defined what volunteering means for me.
- 2. Mental Health: breaking up the work week
When you’re in a school setting, the week can become somewhat mundane and repetitive: eat, attend classes, do homework, sleep, repeat. While routine is nice, this can become unsustainable at a certain point. Mental health usually demands implementing things that make life meaningful: building relationships, belonging to social communities, engaging in passions or hobbies. They are what break up the “work” week, build and affirm our identities. And at the end of the day, they can just help give you another reason to be excited to get out of bed in the morning. In my experience, volunteering has fallen into this category of opportunities that break up the work week. First, it is often a change in the kinds of skills that I exercise (i.e. I can finally close Moodle, shut the laptop and put away the notebook). For a few hours, I can exercise my mind in other ways. Consequently, it gives my mind a break and I usually come back to my work feeling more rested. But what is most important is that volunteering provides a sense of mental clarity; the perspective that there is more than the next reading that I have to do or the seminar I’m preparing for later in the week. It’s a reminder to live in the present and focus on what is directly ahead of you.
- 3. A Sense of Purpose: doing good for the community feels good
Narratives around volunteering can sometimes fall into tropes of selflessness and of course, it is responsible to recognize your privileges and use them to do good for others. Because of this, we don’t talk quite as much about how doing good for others also makes you feel good. However, this can be an incredibly motivating factor for volunteering, as it builds confidence and efficacy. Volunteering around civic engagement, for example, has radically changed my perspective about what I believe is possible when building community. That realization feels very good and makes me a more caring, energized, and resilient citizen. So, while it is a great idea to ask what you can do for your volunteering opportunity and community, it is also powerful to reflect on how your volunteering adds meaning to your life. It is in this kind of reflection that we can find a sense of purpose that transcends what we can list on a CV and work towards causes we care deeply about in the most meaningful way, whether that meaning changes the world, or even just changes one person’s mind.
If Sophie has inspired you to volunteer, check out one of our other ongoing opportunities or book a one-to-one with David Coles, the Volunteer Centre Manager if you have more questions. And why not follow us on Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date with our events and opportunities and read our blog for more volunteering tips and stories.
