Volume 12: Confession: My Volunteerism isn't Entirely Altruistic

The first time I did any volunteer work was when I was in elementary school, making sandwiches for the homeless at a church in the Downtown Eastside. Twenty years later, I’m proud to share that my volunteerism has extended beyond spreading mayonnaise and tuna on bread.?

For those who might not know, April is “National Volunteer Month” - trust me, I’m a Social Media Manager, I know all the holidays (April 11 is also Barbershop Quartet Day, FYI).?

Some of the roles and organizations I’ve been involved in over the years include:

• Child Care Assistant with YWCA Metro Vancouver
• Council President at my old Strata Corporation?
• Study Buddy Tutor with Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland
• Office Assistant & Copy Editor with Dress for Success Vancouver
• Zac Efron's Personal Assistant (Ok, the last one hasn’t actually happened - yet)

But truth be told, volunteering hasn’t always been an 100% altruistic experience for me.?

Sh*t, did I say that out loud?

Don’t get me wrong. At the heart of all my volunteer efforts is an intrinsic, heart-centered motivation to contribute back to the world in a meaningful way. As cheesy as that is, it’s how I feel. ??

But when I volunteer, I also feel good about what I’m doing. It brings me joy and purpose and a general sense of well-being. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t appreciate the appreciation from my fellow neighbours after leading an AGM as their Council President (with an agenda and notice that I wrote myself, mind you), or don’t relish the smile on a kid’s face after I read a funny story to them at the daycare. As a former Preschool Teacher, I do a mean-a$$ Dragon voice reading The Paper Bag Princess.

There have been numerous studies and endless debates about the relationship between volunteerism and altruism. An article in The Atlantic even reported that people who volunteer tend to live longer, healthier lives.?

I wasn’t even sure I wanted to write about this topic - I don’t want to muddy the good deeds and efforts made by myself and other volunteers with my philosophical ponderings and abstract thinking.

But seeing as it’s National Volunteer Month, it felt like an appropriate time to not only share these ideas, but also promote and encourage volunteerism in anyone who happens to read this.

Because it’s OK if you decide to volunteer for reasons not entirely altruistic. Whether it’s to feel good about yourself, atone for a past misdeed, gain experience hours for a resume, or even if it’s just for the ‘gram, as long as the net good outweighs the self-serving purposes and no one is getting hurt in the process, then why not?

So if you’re interested in volunteering in any capacity - just do it.

There’s organizations for every cause you might believe in and/or support: animal adoption, literacy, education, poverty alleviation, LGBTQIA2 rights - heck, you can even volunteer for the circus if you wanted (https://vancouvercircusschool.ca/about-us/join-our-team/). Even if it’s one time a year, or one-time, ever. Because a volunteer helping the world for reasons that aren’t 100% altruistic is better than not volunteering at all.?