Today is International Volunteering Day, so I’d like to share a few things I’ve learnt so far:
Volunteering prevents you from feeling like you’re wasting time: you’re actually giving time to someone else, and this small “sacrifice” is rewarded in many different ways.
There seems to be an actual physical sensation that occurs when people help others that makes them experience greater energy and strength, less depression and increased feelings of self-worth. Apparently, this feeling is called “helpers high”, and yes, when you come home, you’re incredibly tired, and high, and it feels great.
Volunteering helps you develop new skills. You can never imagine how good you can be at creating Origami if you’ve never found the time to volunteer in an arts and crafts activity with kids and would have never become a chess champion if you hadn’t spent a couple of hours a week in a retirement home. Any skill can be useful in life, as long as it keeps your brain active.
Volunteering helps you break the monotonous routine of the everyday life. You go to work or to the university or school – you have lunch – you do the afternoon shift or you go to the library – you come back home and sometimes you go out with your friends. Again, and again, and again.
Hey, it’s time to reinvent yourself! Don’t let your couch drain your last energy!
Volunteering gets you meaning and purpose at any age, even if you think that you achieved everything in your life, there is always more to experience. If you feel lonely, there will always be somebody to warm you with a beautiful smile; if you feel sad, there will always be somebody who will make you laugh.
We all have busy lives, but when you make time to volunteer, it really is a great experience.
So, when you don’t know what to reply to that friend who asked you to join him/her, simply try!
Kopin also has lots of opportunities, so get in touch and get started.
Try to go out,
spend the rest of your day with other people,
be kind,
make new friends,
get your hands dirty with paint,
let someone tell you a story about his/her life,
give someone some comfort,
make connections with people you don’t know,
build communities.
They need you, and you need them.
Contribution by: Valentina Garofalo
Awesome Kopin intern by day, Starwars enthusiast by night
