Volunteering: Giving to others is rewarding to yourself

Recently, I finally got back to volunteering, which I have not done on a regular basis for years.  I kept telling myself things like, “I don’t have time, so I will give money instead”, and “I will make up for it later in life when I have more free time.”   I am grateful that I stopped making excuses and started making volunteering reservations at the San Francisco Food Bank.  I only work a few hours a week, and I am one of many, so it can be tempting to think, “Does this really matter?”  To maintain focused, I try to imagine the families that are eating the food that we are preparing for delivery, and I encourage myself by thinking, if even one more family gets food because of my direct actions, then that is rewarding enough.

I love my job and I am grateful for work and for being able to afford my groceries, and it is extremely rewarding to put in my time and energy, not only to help others, but to also remind me how lucky I am.