Help Yourself as You Help Others

With the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the opportunity to help becomes very visual - on TV, in the newspaper and in news magazines. At Kellogg, our tradition of providing products and monetary donations is ongoing, not only in disaster situations but as part of our belief in social responsibility.

Volunteering, too, is part of our lives. Your efforts in giving are so important to others, whether it's gathering food and blankets to send to hurricane victims, taking a senior to a doctor appointment, tutoring a child after school, giving spare dollars and change at a fund-raiser, or however you choose to help. But these actions also benefit you.

Did you know research proves that volunteering can:
  • Reduce heart rates and blood pressure
  • Increase endorphin production resulting in greater feelings of well-being and calm (sometimes called the "helper's high")
  • Boost your immune systemReduce life's stresses
  • Overcome social isolation
Volunteering can offer a sense of control and empowerment. Giving can generate feelings of being needed and being productive. It may even offer a new perspective on our own problems and provide motivation to help us change negative habits of our own.

And more benefits, as reported in a Canadian survey on giving and volunteering, include...
  • Improved interpersonal skills - such as understanding people better, dealing with difficult situations and motivating others
  • Improved communication skills
  • Other learning - increased knowledge about issues related to the volunteer effort
Finally, an added bonus of volunteering for parents and grandparents: you're starting your children on a path that leads to a healthier life. A 2002 study, reported by Youth Service America, says people who began volunteering when they were young are twice as likely to give time as they grow older. Teach your children how to give and they, too, can gain all the added benefits helping others can bring.
FYI...
More tips on volunteering...
See Senior Tips, September 2004



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