Volunteer your way to better health

by Judy Stringer

We often think of volunteering as a great way to give back to our communities and support issues that are important to us. Turns out, however, lending a helping hand isn’t just good for the causes we care about – it’s good for us, too.

A 2020 study by Harvard’s School of Public Health, for example, found that volunteering just two hours a week lowered the risk of early death among older adults. It also linked volunteering to increased physical activity and improved well-being in older adults. 

That study built earlier evidence suggesting there are longer term health benefits as well. A review of relevant research by Corporation for National and Community Service in 2007 found a connection between volunteering at earlier stages of life and lower mortality rates, greater functional ability and fewer cases of depression later in life.

Rob Zaremsky, director of business and community engagement at Business Volunteers Unlimited in Cleveland, believes social interaction and a sense of purpose are at the heart of these positive health outcomes.

“Being out in the community, it makes you feel a stronger connection to where you live and where you work and the people around you,” he said. “It gives you a better sense of just understanding what the community is dealing with and how you can be part of the solution.”

Raven Gayheart, director of marketing and public relations at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, noted that many retirees who serve together at the foodbank have built friendships that extend outside of their charity work.

“They’re getting lunch, they’re going to movies, they’re calling to check up on each other,” Gayheart said, adding that such support systems can be vital to people who are aging and/or perhaps adjusting to the loss of a spouse.

If you’re ready to dive into volunteering and get the benefits of this feel-good phenomenon, Zaremsky said BVU operates an online Community Volunteer Center, volunteerconnect.bvuvolunteers.org, that’s “accessible to anybody who wants to help out.”

At the site, users can see a variety of upcoming opportunities at some 415 area nonprofits or search by keywords or location to find the right fit, whether that’s with an arts and culture organization, animals, the environment, hunger, education, homelessness or countless other causes. An advanced search option also allows volunteers to filter results by specific days and times they are available, skills needed, age restrictions and other categories.

“Many of these opportunities can be as low commitment as you want,” Zaremsky explained. “For those at animal shelters or food banks, for example, if you can only come once a week, once a month or even once every two months, they will still love having you.”

He encourages first-timers to volunteer for two or three hours, see how they like the work and how well they “vibe” with the staff and other volunteers to decide whether they want to “become a regular.”

Zaremsky also stressed that the BVU site can connect individuals with remote volunteer opportunities, such as tutoring students or senior check-ins that can be done over video or phone call.

“That is a really good option for those folks who might not want to or be able to commute anywhere,” he said.

Gayheart agreed that any time volunteers can spare is welcome and appreciated by organizations like the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Opportunities there range from food sorting and inspecting to packing groceries and making home deliveries or donation pickups.

For much of the onsite work at its main campus in Akron, “there is no weekly or monthly commitment,” according to Gayheart.

“We have some volunteers who come maybe once a year or a couple times a year with their church or company, and then we have some folks who are down there a couple times a week,” she said.

In 2023, Gayheart said, the foodbank’s 10,000+ volunteers donated more than 64,000 hours, providing a whopping “1.6 million meals for our community.”

Prospective Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank volunteers can apply online at akroncantonfoodbank.org/volunteer to access and sign up for specific opportunities. ∞