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More Than Good Deeds: Discovering the Benefits of Volunteering
When we talk about volunteering, we often describe the benefit it has on others, not ourselves. And while volunteering is of course a wonderful thing to do for other people, it can also be beneficial on an individual level. Again and again, various studies and research have indicated that volunteering has a positive impact on our mental health.
Volunteering allows us to experience a deeper sense of purpose, build confidence in new skills, and make connections with diverse groups of people — but the benefits go much deeper than that. We could go the academic route and share all the research out there on this topic, but as an organization with a whole community of volunteers ready to talk, we thought we’d go straight to the source.
Uncover KC spoke to two individuals about their experiences volunteering and how it’s impacted their mental health and general well-being. We hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as we enjoyed hearing them.
MEET JOSHUA
Joshua Shinn wears many hats – he’s a father, husband, educator, volunteer, and community engagement specialist. He cares deeply about literature and telling stories — but just as important to Joshua are values of civic service.
He has always had a heart for helping others, a quality instilled in him by his mother. As a single parent who hadn’t even graduated high school, She always made time to give to others, even in tough financial times.
Joshua has carried his mother’s philosophy with him a long time, picking up a variety of volunteer and service roles over the years. Eventually, his work brought him and his family to Kansas City, where he works as an Extension and Engagement/Community Development Specialist for the University of Missouri Extension.
His work focuses on a number of community initiatives, whether it’s through neighborhood leadership programs or child care initiatives. It was through Joshua’s job, and trying to find local nonprofits he could work with, that he became involved with Life Unlimited, a nonprofit dedicated to serving adults with disabilities.
“I was still figuring out groups and needs and networks, and so I just started looking online,” says Joshua. “I found Life Unlimited, and I just reached out, and they were like, ‘We always need help.’”
His work as it relates to Life Unlimited is “to keep his thumb on the pulse” of whatever they need. This doesn’t always mean volunteering himself, often he acts as a connector for Life Unlimited and other groups looking for service opportunities. Joshua hasn’t been serving with Life Unlimited for very long, but he’s already built connections and memories there that will last a lifetime.
“They asked me last Christmas to play Santa,” said Joshua. “ I don’t really have a “santa” body […] I’ve got thick black hair and a beard, but they just said, ‘Don’t worry about it. We have a suit for you.’”
Despite not looking the part, Joshua committed, putting on a costume complete with a long white beard.
“These Life Unlimited folks would sit on my lap, and they would just look so lovingly and deeply into my eyes, like they really believed I was Santa. And just their belief made me believe I had to really nail that part,” Joshua said. “ So I was just trying to “ho-ho-ho” and be as jolly as I could possibly be.”
That moment has stayed with Joshua, and it made him want to match their level of joy. It felt good to bring so much wonder to people with the simple act of throwing on a costume.
There have been many experiences like this that have had an impact on Joshua. But the most profound to him was the time he spent volunteering a year after the Japan tsunami and earthquake of 2011.
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami was devastating, tearing through the Tōhoku region and claiming thousands of lives. Joshua volunteered at Ishinomaki and the surrounding areas that were hit the most by the disaster, helping to pressure wash and clean out homes that had been damaged. At the time, he was in the midst of a tough divorce but seeing how people were impacted, that was the last thing on his mind.
“I’ll never, ever forget the earthquake or going back there a year later to help,” says Joshua. “It was super emotional and profound because so many lives were devastated.”
But when Joshua thinks back to his time volunteering, he doesn’t feel sadness — not exactly. Not only did the experience dull the heartache and pain he was feeling from a divorce, but it resulted in lifetime connections and a humbling shift in perspective.
Thinking back, Joshua says, he’s proud to have been there to help. He feels a deeper connection to Japan itself and the people who volunteered with him, even if they aren’t in touch much these days.
“When you give yourself to other people, with others who are also giving of themselves, it bonds you in a lasting way,” says Joshua. “The people who volunteer are my kind of people, and we share the same heart.”
On a more general level, volunteering reminds him that there are good people out there and keeps his cynicism in check amid bleary headlines, divided politics, and personal heartbreak.
“There’s still people out there that care, and small acts can ripple and make a big change,” says Joshua. He quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson: “It’s one of the most beautiful compensations of this life, that no man can sincerely try to help another without helping himself.”
MEET JOEL
Joel is a retiree, a hobbyist radio operator, morse code teacher, and a familiar face at Union Station. He’s one of about 280 volunteers who help run the KC landmark by operating various exhibits, greeting visitors, and working behind the scenes to make the guest experience extra special.
Joel loves Union Station, but not just because he volunteers there. He was part of the team that helped renovate and refurbish the building into the destination it is today.
Back in the late 90s, the company he worked for helped lead a major restoration of the Union Station Building. His firm provided the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering for the whole building. It was a huge and exciting project, a step above the usual office, school, or hospital.
As exciting as that project had been, Union Station was a distant memory by his retirement in 2019. Like many people at that stage in life, Joel suddenly had a lot more time on his hands, and no idea what to do with it. His wife, who retired a few years before he did, had decided to occupy her time by volunteering at a local art museum. He thought he might try something similar, but where?
“A friend of mine mentioned that he thought Union Station took volunteers,” says Joel. “ When he told me that, I knew instantly that’s what I was going to do.”
Joel took the plunge and signed up to volunteer at the model train exhibit and six years later, he’s still at it as a lead volunteer. Before the exhibit opens, Joel is already there by 8 a.m., checking to make sure the model trains haven’t gone off course. He continues to monitor the exhibit as guests pour in, making sure the trains run smoothly. Something he really enjoys about his shifts is when there are visitors, especially children.
“The little kids get so excited when they come and see the trains,” says Joel. “That’s the thing I enjoy most – just watching them and getting to talk to them and their parents. Sometimes we hand out little magazines or a broken down little box car, and we give those to the kids. They always love that.”
Joel finds that he really enjoys guest interactions like these, whether it’s chatting with a visitor and learning where they’re from or even just giving directions. That wasn’t always the case, though.
“I have always been pretty introverted throughout my adult life,” says Joel. Volunteering at Union Station, a very public-facing attraction for both Kansas Citians and tourists, has pushed him out of his shell.
“It gives you the chance to meet people that normally, you would never know or meet. We hang around the same people at work, at school, at church […] but when you’re working in a public facility that is so popular, you’re going to meet people from all over,” Joel says.
Talking with so many diverse people from all over the country has helped him become more outgoing, and he actually finds talking to guests to be a part of the job he truly enjoys. His work at Union Station has been helpful for him in other ways, too.
“ I was diagnosed with mild to moderate depression about a year ago, and the medication has helped a lot, but working at Union Station has been a big help as well,” says Joel. “It makes me stop thinking about things I shouldn’t be thinking about and focus on more important, valuable things, like meeting new people and watching the little kids laugh and get excited.”
Volunteering does more than just distract him from his troubles, though. It gives him a sense of accomplishment. Every shift, he can leave knowing he did something positive that day. Joel emphasizes that doing something positive doesn’t have to be a grand gesture. Small things matter too. If his team was able to get the model trains to run that day, and if visitors left happy, then he considers that a great day.
“You’re not trying to save the world, but even just helping a little kid enjoy his day with the model trains makes a difference. Maybe he was grouchy when his parents brought him, and now they’re taking him home happy,” Joel says. “Small things can have a big impact.”
Stories like these are reminders that volunteering is just as much about personal growth as it is about giving back. Giving back doesn’t make life easier, but it can help ground you by providing a larger sense of purpose. It can present new opportunities for you to grow in ways you hadn’t predicted. It can be a way for you to meet new people and build new friendships.
If you’ve been thinking about volunteering yourself, but aren’t sure when or how to start, now is always a good time. The volunteer directory is a great starting point to find a cause that resonates with you. Don’t forget to also keep an eye on our socials, where we’re always sharing upcoming volunteer opportunities around the KC metro.