One of the harsh realities of getting older is the challenge of finding time for volunteer efforts. Unless you work for a company like Trott & Trott that makes it easy to get involved, it can be difficult to figure out how to get started, not to mention where to find the time.  This is a sentiment I hear expressed amongst my Generation Y peers who, by and large, put most of their energy into building careers and starting families.

Some of the most popular volunteer sites in southeast Michigan are soup kitchens, food banks, Habitat for Humanity, and tree plantings.  While I personally enjoy getting my hands dirty at a tree planting, I understand that others might not like this kind of activity, or building a house, or stocking boxes at a food bank.  If this is you, there are still plenty of opportunities to give back to the greater community.  Volunteering doesn’t have to be a painful experience.  In fact, it can (and should) be fun! Those focused on their profession ought to look into giving back through pro bono opportunities.  More seasoned professionals might consider setting aside a couple of hours per month to devote to coach someone just starting out in the field.  Speaking as a grateful mentee, the dialogue I have with my mentor, Ed Cherney, is one of the most valuable components to my Challenge Detroit experience. In fact, this mentor-mentee relationship has inspired me to rejoin the group Big Brothers Big Sisters so I can pass on the support and encouragement to someone else in the community.

And if giving for giving’s sake is not enough of an inducement, then maybe you’ll be motivated by learning that a number of studies show that volunteering has vast physical and mental health benefits, including lower rates of depression, heart disease and cancer.  Whatever the incentive, just do it!

This blog post was contributed by Caroline Gersch, Fellow