Volunteering with a nonprofit can and will change your life. From making a difference and making new friends, to developing new life skills, you will wonder why you weren't volunteering already.
1. Make a Difference
Take a moment and think back on when you were younger. Was there anyone that impacted your life? Even if your encounter with them was brief, almost everyone has a person who said or did something that was life-changing. If you're in that stage of life right now, is there a person that comes to mind for you that is currently changing your life? You can be that someone for a teen in our community.
2. It Looks Great on a Resume
This is an easy one and while it sounds self-important, it needs to be said. Both colleges and companies look for community service or volunteer work on your resume! When you have these types of things listed on your resume, it automatically puts you in a better position and gets you noticed.
3. Develop Serious Skills
Volunteering is a lot of fun, but that's not all it is. You will be experiencing the natural world as you are making a difference in people's lives. Depending on where you are volunteering, you can develop skills in so many different areas. At LIFT Teen Center, you will gain skills working with youth, hosting various events, and helping to develop high-impact programming!
4. Gain a New Perspective
It is easy to succumb to our everyday lives and forget that there are 7 billion other ways of living beyond our own. When you immerse yourself into a completely new experience and group of people, you deal with a perspective change. You might learn about something you never considered or hear a different way of thinking on a particular subject.
5. Have an Amazing Time
There is so much to enjoy from being able to serve others. On top of that, you will have unique opportunities; from dinners to events or retreats, there is no end to what you will be able to experience as a volunteer.
6. Work Perks
Some jobs and HR departments will incentivize volunteering and community work for their employees. There are perks you can receive for putting in a certain number of service hours. Check with your HR department to see if you can be recognized in a unique way!
7. Make New Friends
This reason is a bit of a no-brainer. You are guaranteed to make new friends. Whether they are other volunteers or you become friends with a teen, there will be new humans in your life. Who doesn't love making new friends?
8. Explore a New Routine
It can be extremely beneficial to expand your horizons and implement new things into your everyday routine. Volunteering with a nonprofit such as LIFT is no different.
9. Promotes Your Self-Growth and Confidence
When you do something you've never done, you learn more than you ever thought you would. Putting yourself into a new and exciting situation can change your life for the better and teach you things about yourself that you otherwise would never have learned.
To learn about volunteer opportunities at LIFT and the Friendship Community Center, email us at volunteer@thecentersb.com!