5 Remarkable Benefits of Volunteering to Empower Community
- Yeon Ah Ko
- 24 hours ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 3 hours ago
We need to be in joyful community with each other now more than ever before. With third spaces disappearing, anxiety and depression on the rise, increased levels of nationwide stress, and news alerts that further divide us, gathering in loving community is a proven way forward in times of uncertainty.
With our preparations underway for our unforgettable 35th Annual Powderhorn Art Fair celebration on August 1st and 2nd, as well as our electrifying 14th Annual Powderhorn Porchfest music festival on September 19th, we thought this would be the perfect time to tell you how helping others has been shown to have lasting positive effects on your well-being.
Improved Mental Health
Research has shown that volunteering offers significant health benefits. Volunteering often includes movement and socialization. By spending time in service to others, you are combating isolation, building positive experiences, and increasing life satisfaction and self-esteem. This has been proven to be especially beneficial for adults aged 65 and over, who displayed lower rates of depression and anxiety after volunteering.
Our annual celebrations are neighbor-founded events, where the love of community and art come together for a vibrant first weekend in August and one epic evening on the third Saturday in September. If you’ve been suffering from chronic stress, loneliness, or just need a break from doom scrolling, helping your neighbors throw an unforgettable celebration could be just what you need. Being present, getting exercise, absorbing visionary art, and listening to the soulful sounds of the southside along 17th Avenue are opportunities to have fun while making a difference.
You Live Longer
People who volunteer regularly have a lower mortality rate than those who do not. This is even true when controlling for age, gender, and physical health! Volunteering has a stress-reducing effect because it creates positive, relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. The lower your stress, the lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and general illness.
There have been cases of lower cholesterol in teenagers who volunteered, compared to their peers who didn’t. Other studies show improvements in stamina, memory, and flexibility in older adults. Volunteering is linked to physical activity, decreasing pain, and lower blood pressure.
The link between volunteering and longevity is also correlated with the altruistic motivation to help others. The more you volunteer, the better the benefits; volunteers experience increased happiness from engaging in a worthwhile activity and often find a greater sense of purpose in working together towards a shared goal.
Provides a Sense of Purpose
When you spend your time doing something for the benefit of others, it’s not a surprise that volunteers often find a shared sense of purpose and camaraderie. Volunteers frequently report that they get more than they give. Volunteering helps people feel more socially connected when working towards a shared goal. This is especially true for older adults who are retired or have lost a spouse.
Don’t feel like you have the time? One study found that giving your time to your community actually makes you feel like you have more of it. We all have the same 24 hours in a day; how we decide to spend them can make a difference and help us find new meaning and direction in our lives by helping others.
Volunteering has also been proven to increase self-confidence. Giving back to your community makes you feel good and provides a natural sense of accomplishment. A newfound sense of purpose and increased self-esteem result in a happier and more optimistic lifestyle.
Teaches Valuable Skills (For All Ages)
Getting involved in volunteering benefits the whole family! Children who volunteer at a young age are more likely to grow into adults who volunteer. Volunteering can have positive outcomes on teenagers, including improved grades, a more secure self-concept, and a positive attitude towards education. Volunteering also leads to reduced drug use and huge declines in dropout rates and teen pregnancies.
Still not convinced? Even from a job preparedness perspective, volunteering can also provide the experience and job skills you need to stand out in an interview and secure employment. For young people, volunteering is a great way to build their resumes when applying for their first job and to develop professional skills they will need later in life. For older folks, volunteering helps further refine public speaking, communication, and marketing skills and potentially maintain skills that are at risk for decline in retirement.
Nurture New & Existing Relationships
When you volunteer, you increase your social connectedness and help build the vibrant community we know and love. Participating in a shared activity is a great way to make new friends or strengthen existing relationships. When volunteering, you stay both physically and socially active, which are key factors of living a longer, happier, and healthier life.
The longest study on happiness to date found that the number one factor of a “good life” is the ability to have close interpersonal relationships. People volunteer for a variety of reasons and come from diverse backgrounds. Volunteering will not only strengthen your interpersonal skills but also expand your social network with people you would otherwise never meet.
Volunteering is also a great activity to bond as a family, and an opportunity to show the next generation the importance and benefits of giving back to your community. This year, we need community-oriented volunteers to provide wellness breaks, aid with equipment transport, help with event setup and takedown, greet neighbors at our information booth, and provide general event support that best aligns with your skills and abilities. We are happy to work with you and your family to ensure you’re assigned to a task that matches your personal strengths and access needs.
Our Powderhorn Park and South Minneapolis community can become an even stronger, stabler, and more vibrant place to live by creating a virtuous cycle of showing up and caring for each other. If you enjoyed learning how volunteering can benefit you and your community, we invite you to sign up for our upcoming volunteer shifts at the 35th Annual Powderhorn Art Fair on Saturday and Sunday, August 1st and 2nd, and the 14th Annual Powderhorn Porchfest on Saturday, September 19th.
Further Reading
American Psychological Association. (2023, November). Stress in America 2023. Apa.org; American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2023/collective-trauma-recovery
Angela Thoreson, L. I. C. S. W. (2025, August 4). 3 health benefits of volunteering. Mayo Clinic Health System. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/3-health-benefits-of-volunteering
APA PsycNet. (2025). Apa.org. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-17215-010
Carr, D. C., Kail, B. L., & Rowe, J. W. (2017). The Relation of Volunteering and Subsequent Changes in Physical Disability in Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 73(3), 511–521. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbx102
Five Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering | Feeding America. (n.d.). Www.feedingamerica.org. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-blog/5-unexpected-benefits-volunteering-family
Kim, E. S., Whillans, A. V., Lee, M. T., Chen, Y., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2020). Volunteering and subsequent health and well-being in older adults: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 59(2), 176–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.03.004
Konrath, S., Fuhrel-Forbis, A., Lou, A., & Brown, S. (2012). Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults. Health Psychology, 31(1), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025226
Lawton, R. N., Gramatki, I., Watt, W., & Fujiwara, D. (2020). Does Volunteering Make Us Happier, or Are Happier People More Likely to Volunteer? Addressing the Problem of Reverse Causality When Estimating the Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00242-8
Moeller, P. (2025). Why Helping Others Makes Us Happy. US News & World Report; U.S. News & World Report. https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2012/04/04/why-helping-others-makes-us-happy
Mogilner, C. (2012, September 1). You’ll Feel Less Rushed If You Give Time Away. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2012/09/youll-feel-less-rushed-if-you-give-time-away
Mohana Ravindranath. (2025, March 26). Retirement Can Harm Your Brain. Here’s How to Keep It Healthy. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/26/well/mind/retirement-brain-mental-health-tips.html
Schreier, H. M. C., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Chen, E. (2013). Effect of Volunteering on Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Adolescents. JAMA Pediatrics, 167(4), 327. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.1100
Segal, J., & Robinson, L. (2018, November 3). Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits. HelpGuide.org. https://www.helpguide.org/mental-health/wellbeing/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits
Waldinger, R. (2016). What Makes a Good life? Lessons from the Longest Study on Happiness | Robert Waldinger. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KkKuTCFvzI
Watson, S. (2015, October 30). Volunteering may be good for body and mind - Harvard Health Blog. Harvard Health Blog. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/volunteering-may-be-good-for-body-and-mind-201306266428