The Value of Volunteering Right Here at Home!

I love being able to interact with and read to the children, and to see their reactions when you give them a new teddy bear and book. They hold onto both items so tightly. Sometimes they have a look of disbelief at receiving a gift just because. After every distribution, my heart is filled with so much joy. 

To me, a book and a teddy bear might seem like a small gesture, but it can make a huge difference in the lives and spirits of these children.

When we became Horizon West residents, Bears Who Care came with us! Embracing and building into our community was the natural next step. We are a running family and felt inspired to create an event for the whole community to be a part of. A family-focused, health-minded 5K made perfect sense. 

OktoBEARFest was founded as a continuation of an annual party we used to have at home inspired by our shared German heritage. Why not bring that part of ourselves here on a grander scale and include our neighbors, friends, and all residents of Horizon West?! 

Donating to children right here in our expanded local community and neighboring communities is a major part of Bears Who Care. OktoBEARfest allows us to donate so much more because the participation and support of the community is astounding! Thousands of people show up to support the cause and we spend the day together celebrating, German style.  

Many of us in Horizon West are new to the community. We are each bringing with us the traditions and memories of home, while at the same time creating something new altogether for our families. Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, especially if you are new to an area. It strengthens your ties to the community and broadens your support network. 

Serving others puts you with people who have common interests, values and goals. It also illuminates neighborhood resources that you might not have been aware of if you hadn’t participated. 

Research indicates that service to others and volunteering can contribute to mental and emotional wellness. Volunteering makes you feel good. Many of us get trapped in the day-to-day stressors and anxieties of jobs, family obligations, raising children and so on. When we take a day (or even an hour) to focus outward, often we find that our moods and spirits are suddenly brighter. We feel a sense of purpose in time well spent. Bears Who Care provides a way for you to feel that right here at home. We are elevated when we serve and that can bring a powerful feeling of achievement that battles the darker emotions that we, as humans, sometimes experience. 

Volunteering is also a great way to build lifelong friendships. When we put ourselves out there, working toward the betterment of others, we connect on a deeper level- both with ourselves and each other. It takes us outside of our own problems and allows us to do something real and valuable for someone else. 

If there is any one group that stands to benefit the most from volunteering, it’s young people. Children and young adults are still shaping their futures- habits, personalities, values and priorities. Taking the opportunity to volunteer can have a profound impact on who they become and how they decide to start their lives. 

Young people should look for every opportunity to volunteer as they can benefit as future community members, leaders, parents, friends and employees(ers). Young adults and children alike will develop critical social skills, relationship skills and self-confidence that will prove valuable through the turbulence of teen and even pre-teen years. Bringing along friends will strengthen bonds. 

The last and most important point I’ll make is that young people are, by no fault of their own, often self-focused. It doesn’t come naturally for them to think of others. That’s truer in young children of course, but maturity plays a large role in the ability to look outside yourself and see things from another’s perspective. Volunteering and meeting people who are different from you- economically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually- opens our eyes to a host of new information about the world around us.