How can you develop resilience through non-profit volunteering?

If you have a natural knack for service the successes no matter how little and the opportunity to get to serve can be consoling on bad days If giving a listening ear, smile, a thank you will make someone smile it will make give a deep satisfaction that can build resilience

I agree with this! And from my personal experience in leading various nonprofit volunteering projects, I’ve come to realize that it helps strengthens one’s capacity building and prepares them for success. An example was when I applied my volunteer experience in community engagement and needs assessment in a consulting role I got.

I personally see non-profit volunteering as a way of giving back to the world and my community. It might not be rewarding financially but the feeling of having changed the lives of a particular group people is indescribable and that is one of the major drivers for me to keep on doing it irrespective of how tasking and difficult it can be. I would advise anyone going into the nonprofit space to find one that aligns to their passions and goals- one they feel strongly about as that will be a huge source of strength in the time of difficulty.

I started volunteering in the queer community twenty years ago. I was in a new city and didn't know a lot of people. The transactional nature of the bar scene wasn't conducive to building lasting relationships. Volunteering exposed me to people who shared aspects of my identity and my values, many of whom are still in my network.

Volunteering can be a great opportunity to gain skills, knowledge, and experience. Volunteering can become an entry point into a new career. It’s not uncommon for volunteers to be considered for paid positions when they become available.

Non-profit volunteering can be a constant learning experience, especially when you do it together with other volunteers. Embracing the opportunity to acquire new skills and knowledge contributes to personal growth and resilience. Volunteering can connect you with a community of like-minded individuals. This support network can provide emotional and practical assistance during difficult times. Need more friends in your life? Sign up to volunteer, you will meet a lot of great people with big hearts!

I've found that my greatest teachers are the students I am mentoring as a volunteer. Yes, I am the mentor and volunteer on paper, but in reality, the students are teaching me new skills that keep my saw sharpened and attuned to today's rapidly changing environment.

I think volunteering helps broaden our prospective and expand our skillsets. It exposes us to working with different people while taking on totally different challenges and tasks. Working with others, who we don’t work with on a day-to-day, helps us improve our communication style and learn from others’ ways of thinking. Additionally, persevering through, or learning from, new experiences helps us build our decision making and problem solving abilities. Resilience applies to any scenario, not just those we come across on our typical routines. Volunteering helps us grow to persevere and be better for our families, ourselves, and our work teams, all while giving back to our communities and perhaps others in need. It’s really a win win!

When you are doing volunteering for a non-profit you may face very specific challenges such as lack of attention from the organization side or lack of feedback. Those problems should not discourage you from continuing volunteering, moreover you can use it as a moment of improving your skills. Trying harder can help you improve yourself and find the correct ways of doing stuff. If you face challenges please ask for feedback, ask for experience and try to solve them, trust me after every solved problem you will feel much better and more motivated to contribute more.

Working with vulnerable populations fosters empathy and compassion. As you witness others' struggles, you build emotional resilience and a deeper understanding of the human experience. Witnessing the challenges others face can provide you with a new perspective on your own life. This often leads to increased gratitude and resilience.

Volunteering makes us a happy person. It teaches how blessed we are. All the things that we take for granted actually are actually so big things in our lives we get to know. When we understand others pain and suffering, we get to know that for how many times we just upset for the little that may not matter that much.It teaches gratitude. Gratitude for the things that we have, gratitude for all the bad things that never happened with us.

Optimism and empathy are the crucial aspects of volunteering. Sometimes it can get hard, that can pop up a question in your mind "Why I am doing this at all" however every time you feel that please contact your mentors and ask for feedback and support. My practice showed that optimism is a key skill for volunteers, if you believe that you can change somethin or affect something positively you will be able to do anything for you goals.

This weekend I interviewed a beneficiary who had completed a 6 month Discover Me programme. I am on the Advisory Panel for the charity who run the programme and I volunteered to interview a couple of participants. This is what was reinforced from the person I interviewed - that there is no limit to our capacity and volunteering develops our various skills. The person I interviewed shared with me that the next thing they are looking to do is to volunteer with a charity to continue to improve her English, get more confidence. She will feel a sense of belonging and contribution to society, support the charity's mission, make a difference to another beneficiary. This is legacy. Once isolated now connected & part of something bigger.

I remember after volunteering at a shelter home. I realized how much we need to take care of our well being too. I starting maintaining gratitude journal, applying makeup, going to have a coffee alone. I started having me time. And these all things really kept me resilient helped whenever I felt stressed or depressed.

I enjoy spending part of my weekends at the organisation I volunteer at. Personally, it helps me relax knowing I am engaging in activities outside my usual routine. One major lesson I have learned through this experience is time management. I have learned to effectively manage my volunteer work and other engagements.

In my experience, volunteering at a non-profit led me to understand how importance service providing is to me. Contributing to the lives of those less fortunate and/ or marginalized motivated me to want to do better within the community.

Delayed Gratification. I volunteer for a few organizations but I will give my experience with MakeOurHospitalWork Campaign Team. It is a citizen-led community-based campaign that advocates for better community hospitals. It is a non-profit organization. One thing that keeps me going with the organization is the feeling that if the hospital becomes fully functional, my community with a population of 180,000 according to the 2006 census will have a good healthcare system. That helped me to build resilience. Also, I involved key figures like the traditional ruler, clergy/imams and leaders of prominent associations in my community. With their support, I was very confident and the campaign became a success.

I volunteer for several non-profits, and serve on a non-profit board as well. Giving your time and talent to a non-profit enriches the organization in multiple ways. Sharing diverse ideas and experiences helps keep the organization from becoming stagnant. It helps grow the donor base, and also helps improve the volunteer base. It also helps with individual growth by bringing people of diverse backgrounds together, allowing one to learn to be open, more accepting, and empathetic.