Volunteering for the Mind

Photos Courtesy of NHS

by Kristen May staff writer

Assisting the community comes with many advantages for volunteers

ith more people being confined to the walls of their homes due to events that have been cast at humanity the last year and a half, mental health has become a major struggle for many people. It’s hard to find resources that improve the way someone views themselves, and it’s even more of a challenge if people don’t have the materials that are necessary in order to talk to a therapist or get professional help. Most taxing is the stigma that surrounds asking for help, and that often prevents people from seeking out the assets they need. Many people assume that the best ways to help people struggling with mental health is purely through therapy or medication, but there are some resources that are much more accessible. Volunteering comes with many advantages that relate to the mind and bettering the lives of those involved. “Helping other people is, in my opinion, the best way to empower yourself to feel good about you,” Central’s counselor Diane Burden states. Members of the National Honor Society (NHS) and other organizations that involve volunteering such as Sea Club and Key Club have also witnessed the benefits that result from assisting others firsthand. Lauren May ‘22 is a member of NHS and Sea Club and finds that volunteering is “just a chance to be in the real world and help people without too many incentives for yourself.” Central has numerous volunteer opportunities for students to become involved with that are very simple to join. Volunteering is a great way to relax and take your mind off other stressful thoughts. May has experienced this feeling in her own life; “I know that while I’m volunteering, the best thing I can be doing is focusing on the present. It gives your mind an excuse to not be worrying about other stuff, and [lets you] be present and more relaxed.” Completing a task that helps others is the perfect way to increase someone’s happiness. According to a study conducted by the University of California Berkeley, “researchers found that par-

Wticipants ages 16-24 and 55-74 were especially likely to benefit from volunteering, perhaps because of the opportunity to build social connections and new skills.” There are many volunteer opportunities in Traverse City outside of Central’s campus that have positive effects on the community and are available to most ages. One such organization is the food pantry at Christ Church of Traverse City. Lenda McQueer is the coordinator of the Food Pantry and also organizes the Saturday Night Community Meals at the church. McQueer has seen many changes over the years that she’s been involved with the organization,“I started as the office person in 2004, and we had a tiny pantry downstairs and now it has blossomed into [an entire] room and [expanded to] the lobby for the fresh vegetables,” McQueer explains. The many volunteers who help with the Food Pantry find enjoyment in not only helping a worthy cause, but “I think that if you haven’t really had also getting to know much experience with volunteering, people they might then it might be an unfamiliar concept.” not meet otherwise. “They enjoy helping. The food comes in, we sort it. They get to know people. We know a lot of people by first names now. So, they enjoy it too and they stay,” McQueer describes. Volunteering can be unfamiliar and nerve wracking to someone that hasn’t done it before. “I do think that sometimes people are afraid and that’s perfectly normal,” Burden notes, “I think that if you haven’t really had much experience with volunteering, then it might be an unfamiliar concept.” Fear, however, shouldn’t stop people from contributing to their community. There are so many advantages that can come from supporting others, even if the concept of volunteering is a little frightening. That openness just depends on how familiar someone is with contributing to their community. “If it’s already something that’s existing in your family and the adults that you are with, then I think people are more prone to look for volunteering opportunities,” Burden asserts. //