What if every person on earth volunteered for eight hours each month? What impact would 624 billion volunteer hours per year have on the world? Would the world enjoy any improvements? I have performed no empirical study, but I imagine the following changes.
Taxes at all levels would decline by more than half. People would no longer expect their governments to satisfy every need of the poor, the sick, the developmentally disabled, the homeless, and the elderly. Thus tax levies could be reduced sharply. Neighbors would take care of one another.
With the governments pinching less money from their citizens and corporations, the prices of good and services would fall. As consumption would grow the economies of every nation would improve, and poverty would nearly vanish.
The arts would flourish as people could afford to patronize them, and volunteers would enable reduced expenses.
The quality of education would advance as legions of volunteers would make possible one-on-one student mentoring.
Crime rates would plummet as opportunities would flourish and neighborly love would grow. With enhanced education and economic opportunities fewer young people would descend into lives of crime.
Depression and other emotional problems would ease and the collective self-esteem and hope would rise. The "helper’s high" endorphins would energize and comfort each volunteer; and feelings of abandonment would diminish. The spirit of Christmas would last all year.
The negative cultural effects of television would dwindle as people would waste less time in its hypnotic clutches.
World peace? Maybe.
Do you think I’m exaggerating the impact of volunteering? I don’t think so. The compounding effect of neighbor caring for neighbor cannot be calculated.
I exaggerate in hoping that every person in the world will volunteer. But, what if a tenth of the world’s people served others a few hours each week? Would 62.4 billion volunteer hours per year have any power for good?
If you choose volunteering you will add more meaning and significance to your life. You will feel your attitude improve toward those not like you. You will find that volunteering fills many of the needs you previously hoped your employment would satisfy.
You need not journey to some remote village in Guatemala to contribute to the world. Children, homeless, ill, and elderly live right in your community. Your own church or religious faith needs your help. If I could, I would furnish you a list of agencies in your town that need your help. I can’t. But below I have listed some links to world-wide organizations that likely need help in your area.
Please make your mark. Find a need and fill it. You can change the world.
Global Relief
Red Cross http://www.redcross.org
Peace Corps http://www.peacecorps.org
Choice Humanitarian http://www.choicehumanitarian.org
Children
National Council of the Boy Scouts of America http://www.bsa.scouting.org
Girl Scouts http://www.girlscouts.org
Foster Grandparents http://www.seniorcorps.org
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp http://www.holeinthewallgang.org
Ronald McDonald House Charities http://www.rmhc.com
Elderly
Adopt-a Grandparent http://www.adopt-a-grandparent.org
Environment
Turtle Time, Inc. http://www.turtletime.org
Tree Musketeers http://www.treemusketeers.org
Animals
The Humane Society of the United States http://www.hsus.org
Handicapped
North American Riding for the Handicapped Association http://www.narha.org
Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic http://www.rfbd.org
Compeer Program http://www.compeer.org
Special Olympics, Inc. http://www.specialolympics.org
Ill
Hospice Net http://www.hospicenet.org
Spare Key Foundation http://www.sparekey.org
Muscular Dystrophy Association http://www.mdausa.org
The American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org
Veterans
United Service Organization World Headquarters http://www.uso.org
Poor
Appalachia Service Project, Inc. http://www.asphome.org
Teen Missions International, Inc. http://www.teenmissions.org
Habitat for Humanity International http://www.habitat.org
Other
Prison Fellowship Ministries http://www.prisonfellowhip.org
SHARE, an organization for bereaved families http://www.nationalshareoffice.com
Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network http://www.1800volunteer.org
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