We all know that when you volunteer you are helping those who are less fortunate than yourself or helping those who cannot help themselves. Along with helping other people, volunteering tends to leave you smiling and satisfied. I have compiled a list of 5 Benefits of lending service to others.

1. You can gain new skills. Sometimes in these volunteering situations you can learn new communication skills by working in a team on new people, managing groups, working with children and organizing events. You could possibly learn tactical skills like organizing data, working with spreadsheets, managing inventory or even handling receipts or expense reports. Volunteering also can help define your time management skills.

2. Adding to the Resume. If you volunteer your time, there is a good chance that you are building experience that you can put on your resume. Universities and future employers like to see you have shown commitment to something other than your personal life and school. Showing that you volunteer your time and spend energy on others, can really only impress on your resume. Using your hobbies and passions to find something to volunteer your time to, can help show off your passion for helping!

3. It’s good for your soul. Providing service to others gives you a different perspective on your current situation. It gets you out of your comfort zone, meeting new people and become part of a team. Interacting with people from different walks of life, can help you see your own life more clearly. Volunteering also has health benefits! It has been proven to lower blood pressure and can help with chronic pain. Not to mention it’s cheap therapy!

4. Providing service to others, shows responsibility and time management. It promotes positive behavior in the younger generations. If they see you providing service and having fun, they will be more likely to volunteer in the future. Furthermore, it can be contagious, like the “pass it on” situation.

5. When providing service to others you can potentially earn credits. Volunteer hours might be mandatory for your graduation, so why not do something you are interested in? Again using your passions and hobbies to find something to volunteer in, can show how passionate you can be! While you might be earning credits, you will also be acquiring topics to write about for college essays and during your college application process.

One more added bonus benefit to lending service to others is refining your kindness skill. All in all, you walk out much happier than when you walked in!