Emotional Satisfaction Through Volunteering

       Volunteering not only helps others and gives them a better quality of life, it also helps YOU. Volunteering by giving out food may seem exhausting and it takes a lot of work, but in the end, it is one of the most rewarding experiences that you can have as a human. 

      Humans, by nature, have selfish tendencies. It is important to give back to the community by doing something selfless. Volunteering not only helps you with resumes and job opportunities, it also helps you get a certain level of satisfaction. Helping other people is proven to make you happier--It releases endorphins.

      I have had the tremendous opportunity to be able to volunteer in different area of the food industries. At places like soup kitchens, food drives, and the Salvation Army. I had a very rewarding experience a couple weeks ago when I spent a couple hours in the kitchen of the Salvation Army of Pontiac, MI, helping to prepare a meal for the people of the community who needed a free lunch.

It is important to note that the Salvation Army is not in a horribly bad part of Pontiac, some of the people who came by were not homeless, but were just in a rough patch, trying to scrape by till the next paycheck.  

     We helped to prepare the food, serve it, and then assisted with clean up duties.  One of the best parts of the experience was talking with the people and hearing their stories. When you take the time out of a busy day, it really makes a difference for these people, who feel invisible so much of the time. The work was difficult and laboring intensive, but at the end, seeing people’s smiling faces and hearing them say thank you was all I needed to feel rewarded. 

      And what did I get out of it? Nothing. Well, I got a free burger. Granted, it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had, but it’s not like I got paid by the hour or anything. But as I drove back to school, I felt like I had accomplished something much bigger than me.

     So think about taking the time out of your busy schedule—even if it’s just a few hours. Help in your community; reach out and see what opportunities are out there. The work may be difficult, but you may be surprised by how good you feel afterwards. There is truly no other feeling more rewarding that helping someone else.