Benefits of Volunteerism across the Life Span

Abstract

Volunteers bring support and validation to those who are marginalized in society. Further, volunteers serve as a means of care and concern that extends the mission and programmatic objectives of human service organizations. Volunteers are beneficial to society. However, there are critical benefits to volunteering that make being a volunteer worthwhile. The model for this discussion is three areas of development: personal development, skills development and values development across the life span. These areas of development impact the growth of individuals psychosocially, their abilities as well as their beliefs that would catapult them into adulthood. This chapter presents the benefits of volunteering and discusses its relationship to life span development perspective. It concludes with a summative narrative of the outcomes’ connection to social justice.