Volunteer

Today is Day 4 of my Happiness Hacks series.

About a year ago, I toured an amazing women and children’s shelter where they help moms retain (or get back) custody of their children. The program provides training and education in parenting, life, and vocational skills for the participants.

I was so impressed with the program and facility and wanted to get involved. My life was busy and my schedule full (as usual), so it took me a while to get around to completing the volunteer application, interview, and orientation. I finally completed my orientation last spring and got a placement as a parenting teacher. My class meets once a week for 70 minutes on Tuesday mornings, and this morning was my first class!

I connected with seven amazing women who are in their final quarter of the program. The next steps for them are job searching and finding housing for their families for when they graduate. I had such a great time with these women. We laughed as we talked about the things our kids say and do, and I felt like I made some new friends. I am already looking forward to next week’s class.

I am so happy to have found a way to volunteer that is fun for me and “right up my alley.” I think that’s the trick – finding a place to serve where you can use the skills that come most naturally to you. I have found a match between something I enjoy and a way I can help others, and I am thrilled.

I definitely found my volunteering today to be a happiness boost, just like the research says:

Volunteering Could boost Happiness, Decrease Depression and Help You Live Longer, Huffington Post

Volunteering May Make People Happier, Study Finds, Web MD

Why Helping Others Makes Us Happy

This post is part of my 31 Days of Happiness Hacks series for the Write 31 Days Challenge.
Thank you for reading!