According to a recent survey conducted by a large insurance company, 68% of people who volunteered in the past year said that volunteering made them feel physically healthier. They also observed that volunteering appeared to correspond to a healthier Body Mass Index (BMI) and almost a third of volunteers who suffer from a chronic condition reported that volunteering helped them better manage their illness. In other studies, it has been shown that volunteer work enhances well-being (defined by such measurements as life satisfaction, self-esteem,sense of control over life, physical health and depression).
Repeat volunteer efforts seem to produce the best results. Some research shows that investing 100 volunteer hours per year is the threshold needed to experience health benefits. However, we believe any time we give helping others is a worthy investment in ourselves and our communities. Check out this great website to find volunteer opportunities in your area is www.VolunteerMatch.org