The seasons are changing and it’s time to welcome in the warmth of the holidays as they are just around the corner! Can you smell the aroma of yummy food at family gatherings? Are you looking forward to sharing time with close friends and celebrating with your special holiday traditions?
Fall launches us into the season of giving. “It’s better to give than to receive.” Perhaps when we give, we do actually receive something in return. Here are 5 gifts you could receive when you choose to give your time as a volunteer.
1. The Gift of A New Skill
When you volunteer, there is occasionally training required to help perform your new volunteer duties. This is free training and a chance to learn a new skill. There are opportunities like learning about horses and therapeutic riding with the Haku Baldwin Center or Big Brothers Big Sisters Community-based Mentoring Program. You can acquire skills to simply add to your repertoire or it may even open up a new job opportunity.
2. The Gift of New Job Opportunities
Gaining new skills can organically lead to new job opportunities. For example, if you become a kayak naturalist with the Pacific Whale Foundation, you’ll learn about respectful wildlife viewing, strengthen your interactions with the public, and get to sharing the latest marine facts as you paddle in a Sanctuary-provided kayak. With the skills gained through this volunteer opportunity, you’d be a “stand out” candidate in the applications for Ocean Kayak Guide jobs in Kihei.
Another example is the training you receive as a Hospice Maui Volunteer. Hospice Maui offers extensive Volunteer Training each year to prepare volunteers for the joys and challenges of. caring for patients. It’s a sacred trust. Simply due to the nature of being with people at the end of life, difficult situations or emotions come up when helping out in this beautiful way. This training provides an essential life skill. This skill would also provide experience and understanding to move into a career as a caretaker for adults.
3. The Gift of New Friends
When you embrace a new volunteer opportunity you will undoubtedly choose something that matches your core values, most likely something you would enjoy, and maybe even something you want to learn more about. These things are a good recipe to build new friendships. When you choose the right volunteer position for yourself it makes choosing and making friends easier. This way you’re guaranteed to run into someone who has similar interests and passions as yourself!
4.The Gift of New Business Partnerships
If you’re a Maui business owner, you likely understand the importance of building good partnerships. Partnerships can help you grow your business, serve more customers, and build your referral network.
Outside the business arena, your partners are the people you turn to when your kid has a school fundraiser or your church is hosting a community car wash. They are your community members. You’ll meet plenty of people along your volunteering journey. Each person you meet is a new partnership opportunity.
5. The Gift of Good Karma
Everyone has heard some version of the “Pay it forward” story. In this story, one kind soul in line at the cafe chooses to pay for the order behind them. The train of giving and receiving continues as each customer pays it forward to the next person in line. This all came from one simple act of kindness.
One act of kindness can create a wave of good. Eventually, this wave of good comes back your way. Some call it Karma. It is an integral part of humanity woven into many philosophies and religious traditions through the ages. When we volunteer and give back to our community, we build good karma.
Go Volunteer!
These are only a couple of examples of the gifts of volunteering. Now you’ll have more reasons to fall in love with volunteering besides the warm feeling you get in your heart. So, what are you waiting for? Go browse through the current volunteer opportunities in Maui.
