Volunteering offers great help to people in need, but the benefits (好处) can be even greater for you, the volunteer.

【小题1】. Being a volunteer helps you make new friends and improve your social skills. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. It develops your ties to the community, broadens your support network and offers you chances to know people with common interests and fun activities.

【小题2】, others are shy and have a hard time meeting new people. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice and develop your social skills, since you are meeting regularly with a group of people with common interests.

Volunteering is good for your mind and body. 【小题3】. Nothing reduces (减少) stress better than a meaningful connection to another person. Working with pets and other animals has also been shown to improve mood and reduce stress and anxiety. Studies have found that older volunteers are likely to walk more and find it easier to sleep regularly. 【小题4】.

If you’re considering a new job, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. 【小题5】 , volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork communication, problem solving and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching (伸展) your wings at work once you have improved these skills in a volunteer position first.

Suppose you become a leader in an organization. You are likely to have volunteers to help with the organization’s activities. To do so, it should help to understand why people undertake volunteer work and what keeps their interest in the work.

Let’s begin with why people volunteer Researchers have identified several factors that motivate people to get involved. For example, people volunteer to express personal values related to unselfishness, to expand their range of experiences, and to strengthen social relationships. If volunteer positions do not meet these needs, people may not wish to participate.

People also volunteer because they are required to do so. To increase levels of community service, some schools have launched compulsory volunteer programs. Unfortunately, these programs can shift people’s wish of participation from an internal factor (e.g. “I volunteer because it’s important to me”) to an external factor (e.g. “I volunteer because I’m required to do so”). When that happens, people become less likely to volunteer in the future. People must be sensitive to this possibility when they make volunteer activities a must.

Once people begin to volunteer, what leads them to remain in their positions over time? To answer this question, researchers have conducted follow-up studies where they track volunteers over time. For instance, one study followed 238 volunteers in Florida over a year. One of the most important factors that influenced their satisfaction as volunteers was the suffering they experienced in their volunteer positions. Although this result may not surprise you, it leads to important practical advice. The researchers note that attention should be given to “the training methods that would prepare volunteers for troublesome situations or provide them with strategies for coping with the problem they experience.”

Another study of 302 volunteers at hospitals in Chicago focused on individual differences in the degree to which people view “volunteer” as an important social role. Those people for whom the role of volunteer was most part of their personal identity would also be most likely to continue volunteer work. Participants indicated the degree to which the social role mattered by responding to statements such as “Volunteering in Hospital is an important part of who I am.” Consistent with the researchers’ expectations, they found a positive correlation (正相关) between the strength of role identity and the length of time people continued to volunteer. These results lead to concrete advice: “Once an individual begins volunteering, continued efforts might focus on developing a volunteer role identity. Items like T-shirts that allow volunteers to be recognized publicly for their contributions can help strengthen role identity”.

The wrong donations end up costing charities precious dollars just to store leftovers (积压物资 ), which is why clothing may not be the best use of your donation efforts.【小题1】

Think of the children. Children’s needs are important during disasters. As families influenced by a disaster try to protect their children from the effects, they try to provide children with toys, snacks, juices, candies, and other comfort items, particularly in post-disaster environments.【小题2】 Shelters will accept these donations and give them out properly.

Donate your skills to your community. If you are trained in disaster response, you can contact your local emergency services and the Red Cross to see if they need volunteers. Let them know your abilities. 【小题3】 Do not go as an individual volunteer to a disaster area expecting to find ways to help.

【小题4】 Time and comfort are the two most important things you can give for free. Spend time listening to the victims (受灾群众) with an understanding ear. You can bring books and read to the children.

Become a volunteer now for the future. Besides donating money, volunteering is the best way to give. 【小题5】 The Red Cross and charity organizations prefer a trained group of volunteers who can jump into action. They don’t have the resources to train during the disasters.