Voluntary work benefits the community, and research suggests that it also benefits volunteers, and may even help to promote longevity.
Seniors who do regular voluntary work have lower rates of heart disease and live longer than seniors who don’t, according to the latest issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s HealthSource. As well as boosting mental health, voluntary work provides seniors with a social network, and can also help to stave off depression.
Studies have shown that 40 to 100 hours a year – just a couple of hours each week – of voluntary work is all that is needed in order to reap these health benefits.
News release: Volunteer: It’s Good For You. Mayo Clinic. January 15th 2009.
