The heaven and hell of volunteering

The article under the title “The heaven and hell of volunteering” is written by Bibi van der Zee and is taken from the Guardian. It deals with the phenomenon of volunteering and different points of view towards this issue.

At the beginning of the article the author reveals the concept of volunteering. With the support of numerous studies, it is clear that this “power of doing good” makes us feel better, happier and even healthier. Then the author makes us think why volunteering feels like a great idea to do. There are many downsides that no one mentions. You prefer other people’s needs over yours, you ignore and postpone your own leisure time. Bibi van der Zee even notices that volunteering can involve dealing with damaged people, injustices or family issues. Therefore, it might lead to serious problems such as stress, anxiety and burnout.

Moreover, there are some real examples and life stories told by young volunteers. Many of them agree that their experience was rather depressing and disappointing. Some voluntary work is just not organized well, so those sincerely wishing to help suffer from inconveniences or uninterested management.

Summing it all up, the author eventually concludes that volunteering is rewarding after all. It is fascinating to get involved with so many interesting people and activities, to have the power to change situations around us and ourselves.

As for me, I totally agree with the mentioned opinion. I think that volunteering is a satisfying and worthwhile thing nowadays. However, it is quite important to control the level of involvement and take care of your mental and physical wellness.

ADDITIONAL TASK WITH 5 TRUE/FALSE STATEMENTS:

Researchers and numerous studies cannot identify advantages of volunteering. (f)

The process of giving and helping increase subjective wellbeing. (t)

There are many disadvantages like handling problematic families and people. (t)

The volunteer with a fake name enjoyed her experience of working with an uninterested management. (f)

It is possible to change yourself completely if you are involved in volunteering. (t)