Benefits of Volunteering for the Community
Volunteering is a prime example of how people can display their core values and perspectives. It also highlights how one can employ one's skills and enthusiasm for the betterment of others without expecting any financial gains.
Although there's no monetary benefit, the emotional rewards for the volunteer can be immense, underscoring its role in enhancing community life. In this write-up, we'll explore the critical role of volunteering activities, their benefits to the individual and society, and various forms of volunteering you might participate in.
What Does Volunteering Mean?
Volunteering involves giving your time and effort to aid others who require it and doing so from a place of genuine concern, without external obligations or the anticipation of any form of compensation. This is motivated by a deep-rooted belief in the transformative power of volunteering, impacting lives whether impoverished, unwell, young, or others who need a helping hand.
Why Volunteering Matters
The value of volunteer work cannot be overstated, particularly in demonstrating social cohesion. People would only be able to consistently offer aid for free if they were genuinely committed to fostering goodness and actively improving others' lives. Here are some of the benefits that the volunteer, as well as society, can reap:
Enhancing Individual Lives
The primary aim, and the most significant result of volunteer efforts, is the meaningful improvement it brings to people's lives. Beneficiaries often grapple with hardships like poverty, health issues, or substandard living conditions. Volunteers and philanthropists initiate their noble quests to uplift the life quality of these individuals, fulfil their basic needs, and alleviate their daily struggles.
A Boost in Personal Fulfillment
Whenever volunteers are queried about their emotional state, the answers typically orbit around various feel-good emotions—be it joy, contentment, a sense of tranquility, a feeling of achievement, or gratitude, among others.
Although these volunteers don't receive any financial incentives for their dedicated work, they still experience a profound sense of well-being and contentment. They attribute this to the visible difference they make in enhancing other people's lives.
Earning Divine Forgiveness
People are often volunteer-driven by individual motivations intertwined with their spiritual beliefs. In the holy Qur'an, in Surah Al-Ma'idah, Allah says: " Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness."
The act of volunteering can be seen as a form of charitable giving. According to religious teachings, one of the ultimate aims of charity is to secure divine forgiveness for one's transgressions.
Enriching Life Skills
Volunteering enables individuals to venture beyond the typical confines of their daily existence; it enriches their worldview, amplifies their skill sets, and enhances their ability to engage with others meaningfully and effectively.
Compassion toward the less fortunate is cultivated, their circle of social contacts expands, and they evolve into more impactful and productive societal members.
Increased Sense of Satisfaction
If you ask any volunteer how they feel, you'll consistently find the responses centered around positive emotions such as happiness, satisfaction, inner peace, accomplishment, and gratitude, among other uplifting feelings.
Despite volunteers not receiving any material benefits for their efforts, they often experience great comfort and satisfaction with themselves and their actions. This is because they see the positive impact their efforts have on improving the lives of others.
Categories of Volunteer Opportunities
Different types of volunteer roles exist, each catering to various community needs and helping foster unity and collaboration among its members. The following outlines some of these categories:
Humanitarian Assistance
This encompasses supporting vulnerable groups like the economically disadvantaged, the ailing, senior citizens, youngsters, the differently-abled, and orphans, whether the support is tangible or psychological.
Academic and Skills Enhancement
Volunteers contribute by leading educational sessions and workshops to improve the skills and knowledge base of the participants, transferring know-how in the process.
Crisis Response and Aid
Volunteering in times of natural calamities or human crises is also vital, providing both material and emotional sustenance to those who have been impacted.
Cultural and Recreational Activities
While some may undervalue such efforts, organizing creative activities for families and children who stand to benefit from them brings a sense of happiness and well-being into their lives.
Volunteer Initiatives via Tkiyet Um Ali
At Tkiyet Um Ali, we offer an array of 13 volunteering programs that range from food-related to recreational and environmental initiatives. We've had the involvement of over 40,000 volunteers over multiple years.
Our continued work is supported by volunteers filled with enthusiasm, conviction in the importance of their contribution, and faith in its transformative power. They are a significant reason we continue to help deserving families and people in need, with our ultimate goal being the eradication of hunger in Jordan.
In closing, we would like to reference the words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): " Allah helps His slave as long as he helps his brother."
Volunteerism extends beyond mere aid; it nurtures interpersonal relationships within the community to kinship and mutual care, promoting a sense of communal belonging and a supportive social place.