How giving back makes a difference on the community…and on you

By Linda Dickerson, long-time supporter and volunteer of Pennsylvania Women Work

It’s a new year, and I’m sure all of you have your resolutions in full swing. As we move through the year, I urge you all to keep the momentum going and consider setting a goal for yourself to give back to your community. Remember…when you give to your community, your community gives to you!

Here are five reasons why you should give back to your community:

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Impact your well-being
It feels good to help others! When you’re making an impact in your community, it will ultimately impact your own well-being. With everything that we all have going on in our lives, volunteering your time or making a donation can make you feel good.

Learn new skills
When you volunteer, you expand your horizons. You learn new things, and that ultimately translates to skillsets on your resume. These new skills can often transform into new employment or professional development opportunities. Employers seek personnel with useful, versatile and applicable skills. Any chance to augment your skillset expands your chances to obtain a job and move your career forward.

Expand your network
When you get involved with a local organization or cause, you will meet new people with different backgrounds and experiences. You become inextricably bound by a commonality of purpose and perspectives, and longstanding friendships will often develop among volunteers. No one doubts the value of genuine friends. Whether you are in need or simply want to have some enrichment, new friends expand your curiosity and knowledge. They are a support system upon whom you can rely. They spark your interest in new experiences that you are likely to enjoy and value.
Not only that, expanding your network in this way broadens your opportunities. Fellow volunteers will become connections when you need them and expand your circle throughout your life.

Feel accomplished
If you volunteer, you gain a sense of accomplishment that will help build your self-esteem. When you have an appreciation of your value, you exude confidence. Every employer seeks confident employees eager to confront challenges that always proliferate in workspaces. A healthy and realistic sense of self is a precursor to challenging and rewarding employment.

Make a difference
When you volunteer, you change your community and the lives around you. You immediately add value to a community about which you care, and that in and of itself is the most important reason of all to give back.
 
You will not regret the decision to give back to your community. Should you choose to do so with PA Women Work, contact Kristin Ioannou at [email protected] or make a donation at www.pawomenwork.org/give.
 

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