Foodbank Volunteering, with our Amazing Young Leaders.

We think that it is very important to be of service to your community and to give back, and we regularly encourage our young people to get involved!

Not only does giving back impact the community in a positive way, but studies have shown that volunteering can have lifelong benefits and help develop attributes that will benefit them in school, their career and in life.

Some of the reasons we think volunteering benefits our young people include the following:

1) Increase self-esteem

Acts of philanthropy can lead to a greater feeling of self-worth because helping others is fun and can help a young person reflect on what they have and enhance their sense of purpose.

2) Gain more empathy

Volunteering helps our young people see that not everyone’s life is like theirs. Helping people who have different life circumstances can help our young people become more empathetic to everyone in their lives.

3) Become a Stronger university applicant Having volunteer experience can be a great addition to university application or CV. Universities often look for well-rounded applicants and employers are more likely to hire people who are volunteers as they will have developed a range of leadership skills and work experience.

4) Build long-term generosity

Getting involved in philanthropic causes early in life can set up a young person for a life of generosity. People who volunteer when they are young are more likely to volunteer and donate to worthy causes when they are older.

5) Earn better grades Volunteering can also help young people academically, as it provides a different type of learning. There is a positive correlation between young people who earn good grades and those who are involved in community service. Volunteering helps young people gain new skills necessary for the job market such as leadership, communication skills, dependability, time management, and decision making.