Deb Dumont: Welcome to today's podcast. I'm Deb Dumont, Senior Executive Assistant to the President and CEO, Jason Rounds. I also provide support to our Board Directors. I'll be talking about volunteering and its benefits with you today.

You know that warm feeling you get when you help someone out or brighten someone's day or better another person's life? There is something rewarding about offering your time and your skills to someone or to a cause beyond yourself. Often, what begins as a way to give back becomes a gift in itself.

A recent study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies found that people who volunteer are happier than those who do not. Every two years from 1996 to 2014, researchers took data from nearly 70,000 research participants about their volunteering habits, mental health, levels of stress, and daily mood. The result? Not only does volunteering make us happier, it can also improve our mental health over time. A lot of research has been done on the link between altruism and happiness. The happiness that many people feel as a result of volunteering may be related in part to the increased sense of self-worth of purpose and self-confidence experienced when people are generous with their time and energy.

Another benefit to volunteering is the leadership and life skills it can provide. While it can sometimes push you out of your comfort zone, you gain valuable teaching skills and an ability to work with diverse groups of people. It gives you the chance to meet new people and can improve your social and relationship skills. If you're shy around others, volunteering with family members or friends can provide an opportunity to spend meaningful time with people, strengthening not only those relationships, but helping you build new ones.

In addition to emotional and mental health benefits, volunteering can improve your physical health. Volunteering can lower stress levels and balance people's overall sense of well-being, which can have positive effects on your physical health. Many volunteering opportunities can also entail physical labor, which can be a great source of exercise.

So, you may wonder, why do people volunteer? A large volunteer organization asked more than 7, 000 volunteers why they volunteer. Sixty-nine percent of them said they volunteer to improve their community and 83% do so to contribute to a cause they care about. Many people agree that they volunteer to give back. And many more have other personal reasons for doing so. I volunteer because I do want to give back to my community and because I'm grateful for the life I've been given and hope that when I volunteer, somehow, whatever I'm doing will make a positive difference. I've been volunteering in my community almost as long as I've been working. Along the way, I've met some wonderful and incredible people, and many have risen to the occasion whenever the challenges were great. And all through it, the one thing it has done for me is to ground me and to show me that life is good.

I hope that I've instilled the spirit of giving and volunteering in my daughter as well. I'm proud of her and the time she has devoted to it. She's been a volunteer with the hospital auxiliary for over 10 years, and she's only 25. It has brought her out of her shell. She has learned from others and it has helped her in her work life and in her personal life by feeling that she's made a difference.

In summary, the benefits of volunteering can be that you make connections with others and meet new people with interests similar to yours. It can help you gain a sense of purpose or accomplishment. It can help you learn new practical and social skills. It can make you happy. Again, study shows that it can help combat depression. It can help you be self-confident. It can help your health. Volunteers can make their community stronger by addressing local needs. Volunteers can help teach new skills and help others with resources. Volunteers tend to learn more about the causes they support and how they can help address community problems.

Whether on the front lines or in the back office, volunteers make a difference every day. And volunteers gain perspective and become more self-aware. Many of our nonprofits wouldn't be able to remain in operation without the help of volunteers. Volunteer time is incredibly valuable when you think about it in terms of staffing costs.

To those of you who already volunteer, thank you for your time and gifts. The world is a better place because you choose to make it so. If you'd like to volunteer but don't know how to start, consider volunteering where you work. We have an engagement committee that plans events for our caregivers and they would love it if they had more folks interested in helping with events. If you're not able to attend meetings, consider offering to help staff an event. Talk with your supervisor about how you can do this if you're interested. If you have friends or family members who are looking for a way to give back, our auxiliary is in need of volunteers and they have lots of opportunities available.

The City of Farmington and San Juan College have departments dedicated to volunteer work and opportunities. Take a minute to check them out online or give them a call. One of my favorite volunteer jobs is to work in the hospital gift market. I work on Saturdays once a month and more often during the holidays. While you may wonder why I give up a Saturday to do this, it's because I'm helping our auxiliary raise funds for equipment and scholarships, and I like seeing folks and talking with them outside of my work life. It's a good thing.

I hope you will consider volunteering if you don't already. It will be good to you. Thanks for joining me today.