Good in 2016
Today’s blog was written by Tessa Barnard, Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator at Easterseals Crossroads.
Now is the time of year people look back at the previous 12 months and reflect on what improvements they’d like to see in the upcoming year. One possible resolution is to give your time by volunteering with Easterseals Crossroads. You can make changes in yourself by volunteering to help others. We ask that you resolve to make 2016 the year you do GOOD.
Get involved: Being an active volunteer means that you’re doing your part to make a difference in your community. By volunteering at Easterseals Crossroads you’re helping us achieve our mission of improving lives of children and adults with special needs, disabilities or challenges by promoting inclusion, independence and dignity.
Opportunities abound: There are a variety of volunteer opportunities within Easterseals Crossroads for you to enjoy. You can work directly with children or adults with disabilities or special needs in our summer camps or adult day services. You can also help behind-the-scenes in an opportunity like rebuilding computers in the INDATA Depot. A great way to stay informed on upcoming volunteer opportunities is to apply to become a volunteer so you’ll begin receiving our monthly volunteer e-newsletter.
Optimize your health: Volunteering not only benefits the community, but it’s also good for your individual health. The Corporation for National & Community Services released a report that noted, “Research demonstrates that volunteering leads to better health… those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer.”
Develop skills and gain experience: Volunteering allows you to further develop skills and gain experience that may help you in your future job search. Employers often view volunteer time equally as valuable as paid work experience when evaluating candidates. For example, you can enhance your childcare skills by volunteering at Parents’ Night Out – a respite program for children ages six months to 12 years with disabilities and special needs and their siblings – in an environment that is supervised by trained respite staff.
If you’re interested in volunteering with Easterseals Crossroads, please visit our volunteer page or contact Tessa Barnard, Volunteer and Community Outreach Coordinator at tbarnard@eastersealscrossroads.org.
