Volunteer as a Family and Give Back Together During National Volunteer Week

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - April 7, 2016 - PRLog -- Why volunteer? The answer seems obvious...to help others. But there is much more to volunteering than meets the eye. National Volunteer Week, April 10-16, is the perfect time to remind ourselves of the benefits of volunteering and gather our families together to make positive contributions to our neighborhoods.

Studies conducted by United Health Group provide insight into the additional benefits of volunteering. Its studies indicate that volunteering improves individuals' physical health, emotional well-being, their sense of purpose, their connection to the community, and contributes to their overall quality of life.¹

"As a not-for-profit life insurer that was founded on a philosophy of neighbor-helping-neighbor 121 years ago, Royal Neighbors and its national volunteer network understand and embrace both the 'giving' and 'receiving' benefits of helping others. In 2015 alone our members volunteered 113,945 hours strengthening communities and teaching valuable life lessons by volunteering as a family, as a group, or individually," says Cynthia Tidwell, President/CEO of Royal Neighbors of America, one of the largest women-led life insurers in the nation.

When children grow up learning to volunteer, they tend to continue as adults and in turn, teach their children which results in generational outreach. While it might be a challenge to coordinate everyone's schedules, it is important to teach the value of community service.

When volunteering as a family, here are some thoughts to consider:

Choose activities as a family. Everyone has different interests and abilities so take turns determining projects.

Some of the best family vacations can be about volunteering. Whether you consider summer volunteer programs close to home or have the time and resources to volunteer overseas, the experience will provide memories for a lifetime.

Begin a family tradition. It may be an annual volunteer vacation or a special activity surrounding a holiday (collecting canned goods for a shelter to start the new year, sending valentines to nursing home residents, writing letters to military personnel on Memorial Day, donating school supplies near Labor Day, etc.).

Invite your children's friends. It's a way to share the activity and reinforce the social impact as well as the fun.

Be aware of community opportunities. The list of volunteer opportunities is endless, such as cooking and serving homeless meals, holding clothing drives for shelters, cleaning up a park, or planting a community garden.

Pay attention to what is happening in the community on a daily basis. A family may have experienced a fire. The local library may need additional books. A flooded river may result in the need to fill sandbags. Be prepared to get the family to volunteer as the need arises.

Cutline: Curt Zeck and his daughters, Taylor and Madison, are shown enjoying a volunteer project sponsored by Royal Neighbors of America. The family-focused activity included creating community gardens in a local park.

About Royal Neighbors
Royal Neighbors of America, one of the nation's largest women-led life insurers, empowers women to meet the needs of their families with annuities and life insurance products such as whole life, simplified issue, and universal life. Royal Neighbors was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Rock Island, IL, with a branch office in Mesa, AZ. For more informationcall (800) 627-4762.