Another Christmas has passed. It went by in a flash, as the holidays always do.
But there is no end in sight each year when you consider how youngsters who volunteer during the holidays find a sense of worth and accomplishment.
Last month, some Harrison Township students wrapped their annual Explorer Giving Project. For more than 20 years – as township Mayor Louis Manzo described in The Sun – the initiative has supported local families during the holiday.
But there’s a bonus, namely that elementary-school students learn “the joy of giving,” as Manzo put it.
Students at Chesterbrook Academy Preschool in Voorhees also exemplified the holiday spirit in December by donating pet supplies to the Animal Welfare Association. The students themselves collected essential items such as beds, blankets, toys and food for a grateful AWA.
And again, the effort was an opportunity for students to learn for themselves how volunteerism benefits young do-gooders themselves, no matter when they volunteer. When children offer help, therapist Kelley Kitley noted in a 2023 piece for parents.com, they interact not just with those who also serve, but with the individuals they help.
“Volunteering brings kids with different backgrounds and interests together for a common goal of helping others,” she explained. “Connection happens when people can remove barriers and be their authentic selves.”
According to the Illinois-based nonprofit Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, there are several reasons for kids to volunteer. Among them is that they learn to be grateful for what they have as they build both social and life skills. Volunteering also gives kids the opportunity to spend their time on actions that can benefit them emotionally, physically and intellectually.
“Overall,” the site explained, “when children have different hobbies other than spending time on technology, their lifestyle can be more beneficially balanced.”
As parents.com notes, doing for others increases empathy and compassion, enabling children to see a world other than their own more privileged one. While they may not be in need themselves, they can see and hear the struggles of those they help, something the website notes can not only be humbling, but “a true gut check.”
Volunteering can also help kids find purpose, explains Kitley, something greater than themselves.
“They find giving back ignites a light in their souls,” she pointed out. “It also allows them to practice being a leader, which contributes positively to one’s own sense of self.”
Volunteering can also have an impact on a child or teen’s brain chemistry, helping to ward off depression and anxiety. Giving time can actually boost dopamine – a hormone and neurotransmitter that can affect behavior – and provide a sense of accomplishment.
“Participating in volunteering can help kids take their minds off what’s causing them stress,” child and adolescent psychiatrist Helen Egger told parents.com. “There’s a feeling of gratitude that comes along with volunteer work.”
Egger pointed to a 2020 survey that found people who volunteer are happier than those who don’t. It doesn’t hurt that giving the gift of time can also impact academic performance, contributing to better grades and dropout rates.
And that should make young volunteers as happy as the people they help.
