Tis’ the Season to Volunteer

by Amanda Borshoff

With the holidays and changing of the seasons, people become invigorated to volunteer. To some it’s helping at your local soup kitchen, for others it’s helping your neighbor winterize his house. For me, it’s a time to give what I can in as many ways as I can.

I was recently asked what I got from my involvement in various volunteer capacities, and I thought to myself, “What am I getting out of this?”. The thought hadn’t crossed my mind in a while. So, after much thought; here is what I came up with…

Volunteering….
…allows me to be a leader. (As the president of the Indianapolis Chapter of the American Marketing Association, I’m learning new things every day on how to effectively manage people and have the confidence to be a successful leader.)

…gives me joy. (As a monetary donor for various non-profits, I’m able to share my wealth with those who need it most.)

…allows me to learn new things. (As a volunteer for Joy’s House, I’m able to learn do-it-yourself skills around the house while easing the workload of their staff.)

…builds relationships (As a friend to the owner of Cork + Cracker, I’m able to share my knowledge of marketing and promotions to help build her business, while continuing to learn more about running a company.)

I guess the real answer I found was that volunteering gives me all the warm fuzzies inside and that’s why I do it. Whether it’s to become a better employee, friend or person, I volunteer not because I have to but simply because I want to.