People volunteer for many reasons: exploring careers, sharpening skills, staying active during retirement, meeting new people and serving their communities. But they also do it for personal reasons. Some want to spend time in nature while others prefer working with people and looking for that oxytocin release from social bonding.
People looking for the former might choose a farm-based volunteer experience where they help with a range of tasks including animal care, planting and harvesting. Other popular activities include bird banding, a critical method that ornithologists use to track migratory species health. Animal lovers can also volunteer to walk dogs or socialize cats and other animals at local shelters, rescues and sanctuaries.
Teaching and education is another common type of volunteering. It’s a good fit for extroverts and often involves tutoring adults and children. Some volunteers read to elementary school students while others support nonprofits by organizing and conducting training sessions for specialized professionals.
In the area of public health, there are dozens of ways to help out with vaccination campaigns, AIDS awareness or providing information on hygiene and nutrition. Some of these activities might involve physical labor, like distributing food, but most rely on volunteers’ knowledge and skills to improve or extend existing programs.
The unequal participation rate in volunteerism is evident across a variety of indicators: gender, age, rural and urban, employment status, education level and migration background. In addition, the higher the socioeconomic status of an individual, the more likely they are to volunteer.
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