A New Year’s Resolution to Make the World a Better Place by Volunteering for Animals

The new year is upon us and that means we are all starting off strong on our New Year’s resolutions, right? Ok, New Year’s resolutions may not always stick, but what if that resolution didn’t only help you, but made a difference in the world as well? Sometimes, the idea of trying to make the world better can seem so overwhelming that many of us just don’t try at all. What’s the point when there is so much suffering? How can I make a difference when there is so much work to do? And let’s be honest, doing good doesn’t always pay well. That’s why so many charitable organizations are understaffed. Every penny counts when your company is funded by donations, which often means the people who are trying to do the most in this world have the least amount of resources to work with. You may not have extra money on hand to Donate but your time and energy can be even more valuable to many organizations around the world. Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals.

Do you know how much just an extra person answering the phones for a day can mean to an animal sanctuary? A lot! Or consider if you were to spend an extra day car-pooling people to a local beach clean-up. Then you are making it possible for that group to get their work accomplished. You may think these are small tasks when in fact, they are what make the larger picture possible. Not only do you grow as a person, but when you volunteer you influence your peers, family, and community to give back too. And that’s just the beginning!

Meet Other Great People

One of the best parts of volunteering is meeting other awesome people like yourself. What’s better than walking into a room full of generous people who have a shared interest with you? There is nothing like the sense of community you get when you are with a group of people who are all learning as they go and are working together to accomplish the same goal.

Amp Up That Resume!

When you have volunteer work on your resume potential employers will take notice. Your volunteer activities help to show another side of who you are. Maybe your work history says you’ve been sitting at a desk for the last five years but your volunteer activities give potential employers a chance to see who you really are. It also gives you a way to showcase your other skills such as event planning or public speaking.

It’s Good For Your Health

Volunteering is like green juice for your soul. Multiple studies have linked volunteering to improvements in mood and overall well-being. A study by United Health Group found that volunteering increases self-esteem and helps people manage their stress levels. In fact, 94 percent of the people surveyed who had volunteered in the last twelve months said volunteering improves their mood. Whether it’s because you feel good about what you’re doing or because the activity is taking your mind off of whatever problems you have, volunteering is a win-win.

Kindness is Contagious

A funny thing happens when you start doing good things for the world. You’ll find that people want to be a part of those new good vibes you start giving off. When friends and family hear you talk about your volunteer adventures it inspires them to either join you or seek their own. There’s nothing like an Instagram of you and a baby piglet to make everyone you know want to go work on a sanctuary. When you show people the good that you are doing for others and the benefits you are also reaping for yourself it opens their eyes to the possibility of their own value.

How to Start?

There are thousands of organizations out there waiting for someone just like you to offer your help. You just have to decide what you feel most enthusiastic about. If you want to help four-legged companion animals, check out your local shelter for volunteer opportunities. Want to do your part to help wild animals? Check out these organizations making a difference. Want to help farm animals? Check out the life lessons you can learn from volunteering at a farm animal sanctuary here. You can even help animals on a volunteer vacation. Looking to get involved in park or beach cleanups? Click here and type in your location.

With all of this good stuff, you could almost forget the biggest reason to volunteer. We volunteer for animals because much of our human impact on the planet has impacted their lives and they cannot speak up for themselves. Volunteer work not only helps you build new skills and make new friends, but it’s also extremely rewarding to see a few hours of your time create lasting effects for animals.

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store, to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals, and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Adopt-a-Pet: Visit WildWatchers, a watchdog platform specifically designed for animal, earth, and wildlife warriors to actively give back, rescue, and protect animals and the planet.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Stand against fast fashion Pollution by supporting circular brands like Tiny Rescue, which create cause-based collections using recycled, zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade, ensuring it never ends up in a landfill.
• Shop Sustainably for Your Home: Visit SustaiNOBLE.org, an eco-friendly and ethically sourced home decor store that will empower your home with luxurious fair-trade, and sustainable products made by global artisans.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!