Volunteer:

Live United...VOLUNTEER!

Most of us volunteer because we want to help those less fortunate than ourselves. We do not volunteer for the most part, because it benefits us. We volunteer because it makes a difference. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Lending a few hours of your time to contribute to a small task could have an incredible impact on the lives of people, animals, and organizations in need. What many people don't know, is that it is actually a two-way street. Volunteering can benefit the volunteer just as much as the act helps those in need. Here are a few benefits to be gained from engaging as a Volunteer:

Benefit #1: Volunteering connects you to others

  • Volunteering can help you make new friends and contacts
  • Volunteering can increase your social skills
  • Volunteering helps develop emotional stability
  • Volunteering helps improve mental health and happiness
  • Volunteering helps strengthen your compassion for others
  • Volunteering increases socialization, builds bonds, and creates friendships

Benefit #2: Volunteering is good for you and your body

  • Volunteering helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety
  • Volunteering makes you happy
  • Volunteering helps combat depression
  • Volunteering increases self-confidence
  • Volunteering provides a sense of purpose
  • Volunteering helps you stay physically healthy (limited mobility volunteer blurb)
  • Volunteering can help reduce risk of Alzheimer's Disease

Benefit #3: Volunteering can advance your career

  • Volunteering helps you gain new interests
  • Volunteering helps you meet new people
  • Volunteering helps teach you valuable job skills
  • Volunteering helps you gain career experience
  • Volunteering helps you gain more connections
  • Volunteering helps provide you better job prospects

Benefit #4: Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your lives

  • Volunteering helps you consider goals and interests
  • Volunteering helps improve Self-Esteem
  • Volunteering adds fun to your life
  • Volunteering gives you useful skills
  • Volunteering helps you achieve a new or strengthened sense of purpose
  • Volunteering helps promote longevity
  • Volunteering helps build a bigger and better community

We notice a subtle shift in ourselves as we begin to volunteer. We feel more connected to others, We become less absorbed in the normal stresses of daily life. We share our lived experiences with others and want to help more. The Independent Sector, an organization that gathers statistics about charitable activities, places an estimated national value of each volunteer hour every year. In 2018, that National average is $25.43 for every hour given by a volunteer. Not only does volunteering help engage us in helping our community, improve physical health and mental health, gain career experience, it helps us feel better and more alive.

United Way needs YOU!  We have several committees that are community volunteer driven. 

Community Impact Cabinet: determine where United Way invests funds received from the community.

Community Engagement Council: help plan United Way's annual Day of Caring and other community volunteer activities. 

Marketing PR Committee: grow awareness of United Way and help build our brand.

Campaign Cabinet: raise funds to fuel investment inititives in Pitt County.