Why volunteering might be the best thing you can do for yourself

When people think about volunteering, they usually think about giving something away. Giving your time. Giving your skills. Giving back to the community.

What we don't talk about nearly enough is what volunteers receive in return.

At Green Connect Farm, we have around 30 volunteers. They come from all walks of life. Some are retired. Some are students. Some are looking for work. Others simply want to spend more time outdoors or meet new people.

If you asked them why they first came, many would probably say they wanted to help.

If you asked them why they keep coming back, the answers would probably be very different.

They come back because they've found friendship. They enjoy getting their hands in the soil. They appreciate having somewhere to go where nobody cares what job they do or what qualifications they have. They're simply part of a team working towards something worthwhile.

In a world where many of us spend our days staring at screens, volunteering offers something refreshingly real. At the end of a few hours on the farm, you can actually see what you've achieved. A garden bed has been weeded. Seeds have been planted. Vegetables have been harvested. Chickens have been fed.

There is something deeply satisfying about work that leaves a visible result.

Research consistently shows that volunteering is associated with better mental health, stronger social connections and an increased sense of purpose. That probably isn't surprising. People have always needed community. Perhaps what has changed is that we have fewer places where it happens naturally.

Years ago, many people found connection through churches, sporting clubs, service organisations or neighbourhood gatherings. While those communities still exist, many have become smaller. More people now tell me they feel busy, yet somehow disconnected.

Volunteering helps fill that gap.

On our farm, conversations happen while planting seedlings, collecting eggs or pushing wheelbarrows. Friendships develop without anyone trying too hard. There is something about working side by side that makes talking easier.

Of course, every organisation is different. Some people enjoy working outdoors, while others would rather mentor young people, help in an office, visit older people or support community events. The Illawarra is fortunate to have no shortage of organisations doing important work, and almost all of them rely on volunteers.

The important thing is not where you volunteer. It's that you find somewhere.

Because volunteering isn't just about strengthening our community. It strengthens us too.

If you've ever thought about volunteering but kept putting it off, perhaps now is the time. You don't need special skills or endless free time. Just a willingness to show up.

You might arrive thinking you're there to make a difference in someone else's life.

You may leave discovering it has made just as much difference to your own.

Volunteers may be age 15 and over, visit the Green Connect website to learn more.