National Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Month, celebrated annually in April, is a time to recognize and appreciate the contributions of volunteers. The Oxford dictionary defines a volunteer as a person who does something to help others “willingly and without being forced or paid to do it.” While volunteering does not involve financial compensation, it certainly provides many other benefits both to the volunteers and those being served.
A growing body of research indicates that volunteering provides not only social benefits, but individual health benefits as well:[1]
Improved physical and mental health, including lower rates of depression and anxiety
A sense of purpose and meaning
Increased social connection
Volunteering can help reduce stress and increase positive, relaxed feelings by activating the reward center in the brain that releases the “feel good” chemicals serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. By spending time in service to others, volunteers report feeling a deepened sense of purpose and gratitude, both given and received. People who volunteer regularly report increased self esteem, greater confidence, and more satisfaction with their lives.
Volunteering increases social interaction and helps build a support system based on common interests. One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to participate in a shared activity. In many cases, volunteers have diverse backgrounds, which helps expand their social network and allows them to practice social skills with others they might not have crossed paths with otherwise.
People volunteer for different reasons, such as exploring careers, sharpening skills, staying active during retirement, meeting new people and serving their communities. Yet all volunteers share a common desire to improve the health and welfare of people in their communities and give back to causes that matter to them.
Many barns and facilities offering equine-assisted services rely on volunteers to help care for their horses and support clients and horses in their therapeutic sessions. Whatever interests and skill sets you have to share, chances are good that an EAS center will welcome your offer to volunteer. People find volunteering with horses offers many benefits, including improved physical fitness, stress reduction, enhanced emotional well-being, and the development of valuable life skills like patience, empathy, teamwork and problem-solving. Being with horses encourages a state of mindful presence. The deep sense of connection that can develop between a horse and human helps to reduce stress and anxiety and increases a sense of peace and joy.[2]
Non-profit organizations like HHRF rely heavily on volunteers to fulfill their mission, enabling them to allocate their funds to the worthy causes they support. HHRF raises money to fund essential research on horse and human interactions in order to better understand how they impact and benefit each other and to promote the well-being of both. Other non-profits focus on causes as diverse as disaster relief, childcare and education, environmental protection, health research, human rights, animal welfare, and providing clean water to developing nations. Many of these organizations rely on volunteers to be effective in delivering services to those who need them.
How will you celebrate National Volunteer month this year? Wherever you live, there are bound to be numerous opportunities to serve in your area. The needs are great, and you will benefit as much as, or even more, than those you volunteered to help. And thank you to those who are out there doing the work already- we see and appreciate you!
[1] Corporation for National and Community Service, Office of Research and Policy
Development. The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research, Washington, DC 2007.
[2] Vincent A, Morrissey M, Acri M, Guo F, Hoagwood K. Volunteer Engagement within Equine Assisted Services. Animals (Basel). 2024 Jan 12;14(2):249. doi: 10.3390/ani14020249. PMID: 38254419; PMCID: PMC10812477.