VOLUNTEERISM is beneficial to society in many ways and therefore it should be encouraged and nurtured aggressively and with persistence because unfortunately, it appears to be on the decline in many societies and this could be attributed to several factors, one of which is the growing materialistic tendency which inevitably breeds selfishness.

Of course, with increasingly busy lives which characterise the modern world, it can be hard to find time to volunteer. However, the benefits of volunteering are enormous to individual families and communities. The right match could help you find friends; reach out to the community; learn new skills, and even advance your career. Volunteering can also help protect your mental and physical health.
Another troubling issue with respect to volunteerism is the increasing tendency of people to see the government and its agencies as being totally responsible for taking care of everything. The argument that is advanced is that they pay taxes to fund these services, which undoubtedly has merit. But on the other hand, how would paying taxes relate to volunteering to teach the underprivileged, illiterate adults and other similar activities which taxes do not cater for?
One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. However, volunteering is a two-way street, and it can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boosts your social skills.
Addressing a recent event on International Volunteer Day, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony said volunteerism is “something that perhaps makes us human, for those who don’t volunteer there is always something lacking; for those of us who get to give back and volunteer, we find that it is a very gratifying experience”.
Helping others kindles happiness, as many studies have demonstrated. When researchers at the London School of Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness in a large group of American adults, they found the more people volunteered, the happier they were, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine. Compared with people who never volunteered, the odds of being “very happy” rose 7% among those who volunteer monthly and 12% for people who volunteer every two to four weeks. Among weekly volunteers, 16% felt very happy—a hike in happiness comparable to having an income of $75,000–$100,000 versus $20,000, say the researchers. Giving time to religious organisations had the greatest impact.
In Guyana, the spirit of volunteerism went on a decline for a long period, however, encouragingly in recent years there seems to be a rekindling. And we should seek to fan these glowing sparks to once again rekindle the spirit of volunteerism.
In this regard, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport should be applauded for some of its efforts and perhaps a worthwhile venture in collaboration with the Education Ministry and civil society could be the formation of volunteer clubs in schools, particularly at the primary and secondary levels.
It is a fact that one of the best ways of imbuing and inculcating the correct habits, attitudes and values is to start the process among children. Empirical evidence has shown that these positive qualities inculcated in children remain with them in their lifetime which more than likely they would pass to their children.
In our society, where human resources, money and skills are short, volunteerism could do wonders to fill that void.
Too many of our youths are involved in anti-social activities and eventually end up on the wrong path. One of the means of getting them out of this morass is to mobilise them into volunteerism. Sometimes society blames youths wrongfully for being involved in anti-social activities, because it needs to ask itself if it has been doing anything tangible to prevent youths from going down that unfortunate road.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton sums it up excellently: “Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale. And it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds.”