Good Neighbors Make a Better Community

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September 20, 2024 by Bruce McDonald

Good Neighbors Make a Better Community

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Tomorrow is “Love Lakewood Day,” when some good and worthy projects will be worked on by volunteers who signed up during the last few weeks. If you’re one of them, good for you! We wrote about it last week, and the idea of volunteering has come up from time to time in this space. If you thought about it but just didn’t get around to signing up, we just thought we’d run a few thoughts by you, for your consideration. If you’re in a hurry, you can jump to the bottom line.

Why volunteer?

In short, community volunteering makes the place where you live a better place to live. It also offers substantial benefits for both mental and physical health. Let’s be specific.

Mental well-being

Engaging in volunteer work provides people with a sense of purpose and accomplishment, which can significantly enhance mental well-being. Research shows that volunteering helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, partly due to the increase in social interactions and the boost to self-esteem.¹ By contributing to a cause greater than oneself, volunteers often experience a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that is closely linked to improved mood and lower stress levels.

Physical well-being

Physically, volunteering can be beneficial as well. Many volunteer activities involve physical tasks, such as gardening, cleaning, repairing, painting, or moving tables and chairs for Neighborhood Night Out, which provide mild activity and physical conditioning. Regular movement and exercise are known to improve cardiovascular health, strengthen muscles, and maintain overall physical fitness. Additionally, the social engagement inherent in volunteering helps to combat the negative effects of loneliness, which can also have physical repercussions.

But I have a job… I have kids… I have no time… I have… other things…

Volunteering in the community supports both mental and physical health by providing emotional satisfaction, reducing stress, and promoting physical activity. The positive impact on mental well-being through a sense of purpose and social connection, coupled with the physical benefits of increased activity, underscores the holistic advantages of engaging in volunteer work.

The bottom line

Volunteering is something you do for yourself. Then, it benefits others. In our Southern Gables neighborhood, there things you can do for the community right here, right where we live. We have a list.