Author: Elijah Wilson
Planning Unit: Cumberland County CES
Major Program: Volunteer Development
Plan of Work: 4-H Volunteer Development
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Volunteering has a significant impact on people and communities. The measurable impacts of volunteering go well beyond what some volunteers realize. Community service has significant economic and social effects. Time is money. When people donate their time to volunteer causes, it has a tremendous economic impact. The Volunteer Measurement Project (VMP), conducted by Johns Hopkins University, found that approximately 62.6 million people in the U.S contributed 8 billion hours of work, which equates to $184 billion.
Volunteering can provide an individual with important opportunities to gain experience, build skills, build self-confidence, and more importantly to become better. It also helps foster a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It encourages an individual to explore their interests and passions they may not have had the chance to pursue before.
When someone volunteers, they not only gain a sense of personal satisfaction, but also contribute to the community in which they live. Through volunteering, individuals can help protect and improve the local environment, become involved in community programs, and support people in need. Volunteers can help bring improvements to conditions in the community, and act as a catalyst for progress and growth. They enable the community to exercise its collective power for positive change, which has the potential to create real and meaningful impact.
Volunteering also provides the opportunity for individuals to develop new relationships and create new networks with people in their community while learning about the valuable roles different organizations are playing. It also allows volunteers to develop a sense of community spirit that can be beneficial to all those involved.
4-H is a volunteer-based program. If not for volunteers, 4-H programs such as Shooting Sports, Horse Club, Livestock Club and Dog Clubs are not possible. One new volunteer program that start in January 2023 involved a partnership with local schools to restart the Panther Pals Program that was not possible during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thirty-six youth mentors were trained at the Extension office about the science behind mentorships and why their service was needed. The youth mentors were paired with elementary school students and the mentors also worked in the 21st Century after school programs that met each day after school. At the 21st Century program at Cumberland County Middle School, 141 out 198 students attended at least one or more day with an average of 19 who attended each day. During after school, middle school students got to interact with peer mentors. The program will continue during the 2023-2024 program year
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