Volunteer work is one of the best methods of helping specific communities and other people’s lives. Through volunteering, you can help improve the quality of life for individuals in need. With Dorchester Habitat, you are essentially helping families that have low incomes obtain their own valued homes.
Though volunteering is mostly helping out other people, this act also helps you, specifically with your overall well-being. This article will discuss various things to expect when volunteering for Dorchester Habitat.
What exactly is Habitat for Humanity?
Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that provides housing in several local communities in all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide. The core vision of this organization is to ensure that all people have a quality home to live in.
Habitat for Humanity attempts to complete this goal by creating and upgrading houses in collaboration with people and families in dire need of affordable and optimal housing. There are five known branches in the Charleston area: the Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County, Charleston Habitat, Sea Island Habitat, East Cooper Habitat, and Dorchester Habitat.
Volunteering for Dorchester Habitat
One of the affiliates of Habitat for Humanity, Dorchester Habitat, dates back to 1993 and has made 74 homes in Dorchester County since then. The organization requires at least 2,000 hours of volunteer work to build houses and almost $100,000. Generally, the costs for labor and construction are put down to a minimum solely because of all the volunteer labor work.
Volunteers dedicate their time to Dorchester Habitat to provide and sell cost-efficient homes that are decent enough for the people in need to live in. Generally, volunteers’ work ranges from being at the construction site, the office, and the ReStore, handling events, and being a committee or board member. Besides that, sponsoring and donating are also a huge part of building homes in this organization.
Benefits of Volunteering for Dorchester Habitat
Volunteer work is one of the noblest activities an individual can participate in, which is why several benefits come from volunteering. Besides the obvious benefits of being able to help another person, volunteer work also has critical advantages for an individual, making it beneficial for both parties. Below are several benefits of volunteering.
1. Helps Build One’s Self-Esteem
One of the most significant benefits of volunteering is significantly related to a person’s well-being, which is their self-esteem. A high level of self-esteem is heavily associated with your happiness and health. If you participate in volunteer work, you will have increased self-esteem, which can help you perform better in different aspects of your life.
Self-esteem is built through volunteering because of the opportunities to work with others and hone skills you never developed before. Through this, you can take on challenges in your life with confidence that you have never taken back.
2. Gives an Individual a Better Sense of Community
Because the essence of volunteering is based on socialization and communicating with specific communities, this line of work can help you become more connected to the people you are helping. Knowing that you are contributing to a community will make you want to become more involved, trying to do more helpful things for the people around you.
3. Provides Purpose in Life
Some individuals find it challenging to have a proper sense of purpose in their lives, which can be detrimental to their overall well-being. But with volunteer work, these types of people can have a way to find meaning in their lives by giving back to the community. Committing to helping other people can make a person value their lives more alongside others, acknowledging one’s purpose.
4. Helps Develop Social Skills
As volunteers spend a significant amount of time helping and communicating with different sorts of people, this activity can further help them develop their social skills. Through volunteer work, you can use your time working with others to manage your communication skills and relationships, allowing you to better interact with the communities you are helping.
Who can volunteer for Dorchester Habitat?
A wide range of people can be able to volunteer with Dorchester Habitat since this organization greatly needs all the help it can get. But with the different types of tasks that volunteers deal with, there are certain age limits for specific tasks. For instance, 16 years old and older volunteers are the only ones allowed to help on the construction sites.
Besides the construction sites, volunteer work at the ReStore, which sells almost new and well-used furniture and other accessories, is open for people 14 or older. Before committing, all volunteers must create a schedule with the volunteer coordinator to be able to participate.
Conclusion
Volunteering can be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding experiences an individual can have. Through this line of work, people can help and give to families requiring homes. Dorchester Habitat is an organization that makes it possible for low-income families to have a home they can afford.
