Value of Volunteering (cont’d)

And of course, there are the reasons that volunteering benefits the volunteer!

-          Develop your network and improve your skills. Case in point – I ended up with a terrific recommendation as a result of volunteering work while I was unemployed. This reference also provided me with an introduction to someone in my new company.

-          Improve your self-confidence and feel valued. During an extended period of unemployment, I found myself better able to cope with some of the less pleasant feelings by throwing myself into a volunteering project I loved. Several of the volunteers I worked with were also looking for paid employment, so it became another source of support, as we shared job leads and commiserated.

-          Try something new. Maybe your current job doesn’t afford you as many opportunities to provide direct help to people as you’d like. Maybe you’ve always wondered how a food pantry works, or how a fundraising is organized. Joining the Marlborough Juniors is a way to experience something new in an atmosphere of support and fun!