GRO Guide: Service & Volunteerism

Guide AREA OF FOCUS:

Service/Volunteerism This month, we’ll focus on giving back through The Pathway to Purpose: A 30-Day Journey to Making a Difference. Read through this month’s GRO Guide and be sure to follow our resident-exclusive Instagram account, @GreenHouse_GRO, for helpful tips throughout the month.

The Importance of Giving Back Mahatma Gandhi once remarked, 'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.' Beyond its timeless wisdom, this sentiment is rooted in modern science. According to a study published in the Journal of Health Psychology, individuals who volunteer regularly experience lower levels of depression and increased life satisfaction, highlighting the tangible impact of service on mental health.

Tips to Leverage Service for Wellbeing 1. Align with Your Passions: Choose volunteer opportunities that resonate with your interests and values.

2. Embrace Community: Engage in service activities that promote social connection and collaboration.

3. Practice Mindful Giving: Approach service with intentionality and mindfulness. Take the time to reflect on the impact of your actions, cultivating a sense of gratitude and fulfillment.

The Pathway to Purpose: A 30-Day Journey to Making a Difference Embark on a 30-day wellness journey focused on service and volunteerism, exploring how acts of kindness can elevate both individual and community wellness.

Click Here to sign up for a Besa account to get started.

Week 1: Explore Opportunities Day 1-7: Create a Besa account at impact.besa.org and start exploring volunteer opportunities.

Make a list of causes or activities that align with your interests and values.

Register for at least 2 volunteer opportunities, either with Besa or on your own, to complete in weeks 2 and 4.

Milestone: By the end of week 1, you should have expanded knowledge of the volunteer opportunities available in the community and be committed to start volunteering.

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Each week, write in your GRO journal to reflect on how you’re feeling, as you start to volunteer & give back.

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Guide AREA OF FOCUS:

Service/Volunteerism Week 2: Commit to Action Day 8-14: Complete at least one volunteer event or act of service. Take time to reflect on your experience immediately afterward.

Invite a friend, family member, or coworker to join you on your next volunteer experience.

Milestone: By the end of week 2, you should feel a sense of connection to the community and a growing understanding of the impact of your service.

Week 3: Spread Kindness Day 15-21: Perform at one small acts of kindness, such as smiling at strangers, holding doors open, or offering to help someone in need, each day.

Use your GRO Journal to reflect on the impact of your small acts of service.

Milestone: By the end of week 3, you should experience a heightened awareness of the ripple effect of kindness.

Week 4: Sustain Momentum Day 22-26: Complete at least one volunteer event or act of service. Take time to reflect on your experience immediately afterward.

Set specific goals or commitments for ongoing service.

In your GRO Journal, reflect upon your experience over the past month and assess how volunteering has influenced your sense of purpose and wellbeing.

Milestone: By the end of week 4, you should feel empowered to continue making a positive impact in your community and beyond.

Remember, this 30-day plan is a gradual approach to building better health. Each action item contributes to a holistic improvement in your fitness and overall wellness.

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Guide MEET THE EXPERT:

Tariq Tarey Tariq Tarey is currently the Director of Refugee Social Services at Jewish Family Services in Columbus, Ohio. He serves on Ohio’s New African Immigrants Commission and the Franklin County Board of Commissioner’s New American Advisory Council.

Tariq is also a documentary photographer, skilled in both still photography and filmmaking.

In 2006, Tariq’s photographic exhibit, Forlorn in Ohio, which documented the plight of Somali refugees, appeared at the Kiaca Gallery and Wright State University.

Tariq’s exhibition “Bhutanese-Nepali Neighbors” was on display at the Ohio History Connection throughout 2017 and was nominated for the Community Arts Partnership Award by the Greater Columbus Arts Council. In 2018 “Bhutanese-Nepali Neighbors” exhibit won the Ohio Museums Associations best of show.

Follow Tariq on Instagram @tariqtarey

He currently has exhibitions showing at the Rutherford B. Hayes Museum in Freemont, Ohio and at Otterbein University. Several of his images now belong to the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum of Art. Tariq directed “Women, War and Resettlement: Nasro’s Journey,” which was aired on WOSU Public Television in 2012. Moreover, Tariq’s film, “The Darien Gap,” was shown in the 2nd United States Conference on African Immigrant and Refugee Health.

Among Tariq’s honors are the South Side Settlement House’s Arts Freedom Award in 2006 and the Ohio Art Council’s Individual Artist Award in 2008 and in that same year Tariq won the Greater Columbus Art Council’s Individual Artist Award.

Currently, Tariq is working on a book project documenting representative refugee populations in Central Ohio.

Instagram Group: @GreenHouse_GRO

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Guide RESEARCH SOURCES: (1) Konrath, S., Fuhrel-Forbis, A., Lou, A., & Brown, S. (2012). Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults. Health Psychology, 31(1), 87–96. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025226

Instagram Group: @GreenHouse_GRO

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