Volunteer Blog
January 2018
Right about now, many of us are making the same New Year's resolutions we made a year ago. Eat better. Exercise more. And so on.
Not inspired? Try liking your desire to improve your life with your ability to improve someone else's life. Consider these common New Year's resolutions and how volunteering can help you keep them.
Be healthy. Doing good is good for you! A growing body of research links volunteering with benefits to mental and physical health, like reducing stress and the risk of hypertension, building self-esteem, and strengthening social connections.
Lose weight. Volunteering can keep you moving and burning extra calories. Consider helping out with the United Way food booth at the Ag Expo from February 12-14. It's a sure-fire way to keep you moving. Consider helping out with a 5K race, packing meals for food insecure families, or getting involved with kids' fitness and nutrition initiative to inspire you to move more and eat better.
Spend less/save more. Share your money-smart ways with people who may be struggling to make ends meet. Improve a family's financial security by volunteering to help plan and teach financial literacy classes or prepare tax returns.
Spend more time with family. Volunteering as a family teaches children the importance of helping others, teamwork, generosity, and builds stronger connections between family members and your community. Take advantage of the opportunity to volunteer for Project Homeless Connect on January 25 in Tulare and Visalia, and on January 26 in Porterville.
Read more. Kids who develop strong reading skills at a young age are more likely to succeed in school, work and life. Reading with and tutoring young students is one of the very best ways to volunteer your time and energy. Sign up to read to a classroom of students on March 3, when we Read Across Tulare County.
Whatever you resolve to do in 2018, make it a happier New Year for you and someone else by volunteering.
