Dear Eartha, I am looking for a way to be involved but I am not sure if volunteering is right for me, why should I volunteer this summer?

After a long Colorado winter, summer is finally here. You might be planning to spend as much time as you can outdoors and taking advantage of every sunny minute. Or maybe you’re planning on catching some live music and making new friends. Volunteerism may help you meet those summer goals. Consider donating a little bit of your time to one (or more) of many local nonprofits. Plus, nonprofits thrive off the generosity of their volunteers. Here are just a few reasons to donate some of your time this summer.

Exercise your body and brain

Many volunteer opportunities take place outside and on the move. This might look like picking up litter during Town Cleanup Day, building and maintaining Summit County’s exquisite trail systems, or guiding therapy horses. But these opportunities aren’t just excuses for some fun in the sun; studies show that volunteering for your favorite organizations and nonprofits may lower blood pressure and reduce stress. Participating in physical volunteer opportunities forces you to move around and exercise, which has been linked to better mental and physical health.

Are you drawn to something more mentally challenging? Volunteering to be a tutor comes packed with benefits. You’ll dive into the details of your favorite subjects while improving your communication skills and creativity. Additionally, you’ll gain the satisfaction of helping students overcome academic hurdles and build their self-confidence. If tutoring isn’t your thing, administrative volunteerism (like data entry or graphic design) may sharpen your memory and critical-thinking skills.

Regardless of the opportunities you’re looking for, volunteering has proven to counteract the effects of stress, depression, and anxiety.  Humans are wired to give back, and researchers have found that volunteering leaves participants measurably satisfied.

Make new friends

Connecting with your fellow volunteers builds a strong social network with community members who share your passion. Committing to a shared activity and solving a problem together often helps strangers become friends and deepen their connections to each other. At a time when social isolation seems to be on the rise, spending time with like-minded people is yet another way that volunteers feel happier and more connected to their communities.

Help solve big problems

Volunteering puts you in the driver’s seat; do you feel strongly about a cause and wish that more was being done to solve it? Participating as a volunteer gives you a chance to be a part of the solution. The more you do to positively impact the community, the greater your sense of accomplishment and a stronger sense that For example, building trails protects the environment from high amounts of erosion and damage to vegetation due to off-trail use. Even if participating in one day of trail building feels small compared to the scope of the issue, give it a try. Simply by taking action, that the problem has a solution. And, you’ll rest easy knowing that natural habitat has been protected by your work.

Build your career

Volunteering isn’t just for fun or satisfaction. Many volunteer opportunities give you the chance to build a new skill or learn something new. If you want to work in a certain field (like tutoring, mentoring youth, or influencing government policy), then volunteering for an organization that works in that field is a perfect opportunity to learn all the skills they use to do their jobs. Think of it like free training.

Do you feel like you’re ready to stop reading and start signing up? Visit the Summit Foundation’s list of nonprofits in Summit County at summitfoundation.org/nonprofits.

Ask Eartha Steward is written by the staff at the High Country Conservation Center, a nonprofit dedicated to waste reduction and resource conservation. Submit questions to Eartha at info@highcountryconservation.org.