Why Volunteer

Top Ten Reasons to Volunteer

1. EXPLORE: Volunteering is an excellent way to explore new challenges and discover new career options. Volunteering can help you determine what you really want to do and if it’s right for you.

2. GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE: Volunteering is an excellent way to gain valid work experience that employers are looking for. Volunteer work enhances your resume.

3. DEVELOP INTERPERSONAL SKILLS: Volunteering helps you learn and develop important skills such as leadership and effective communication.

4. IMPROVE LIFE AND CAREER SKILLS: Volunteer opportunities can help you practice and improve your skills in areas like setting and achieving goals, time management and organization. Volunteering is also a way to develop initiative and motivation.
    
5. GAIN SELF-CONFIDENCE: Volunteering can make you feel better about yourself. It makes you feel needed and valued by others.

6. EMPOWER: Volunteering helps you relieve negative feelings like guilt, powerlessness or loneliness because you get involved, do good, and interact with others. Volunteering empowers you.

7. CONTRIBUTE: Volunteering allows you to give back to your community or show gratitude to individuals or organizations that have helped you in the past. It allows you to support a cause you believe in and to act in a socially responsible way (i.e., helping those less fortunate, improving the quality of life for others).

8. NETWORK: Volunteering is a good way to meet new people, to interact with people from all over Stewart and even from around the world.

9. UNDERSTAND: Volunteering leads to a better understanding of the people and organizations in your community. This in turn will help you to better understand yourself.

10. ENRICH YOUR LIFE: Volunteering allows you to enrich yourself in many ways and on many levels, while you also enrich the lives of others.

Not convinced yet?

By volunteering you can also:

• Support a cause in which you believe (environment, literacy, integration of new Canadians, a specific health-related issue...)
• Meet surprising new people
• Find out about community resources
• Master a new language
• Learn about a new society, country or community
• Inspire others and make a difference
• Have fun!