Answer President Obama’s Call to Service with Fido
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President Obama challenged each American to get involved and become an active volunteer. Volunteering is essential for the success of many organizations, as well as a great way to get connected with other people. According to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, about one in every 4 Americans volunteered last year:
- W omen are more likely to volunteer than men, with one in every three women volunteering.
- Adults most likely to volunteer are 35-44 years old. Adults in their early 20’s are least likely to volunteer.
- People are also more likely to volunteer if they are married or parents.
- The average time spent on volunteer activities during the year was 52 hours.
- Two in every three people volunteers for a single organization.
President Obama is correct – volunteering is important for the nation. Many organizations count on their volunteer staff to fill important gaps needed to effectively deliver services. But did you also know that medical research also shows that volunteering is great for your health. Both young and older people develop better health and an improved sense of life satisfaction when they volunteer.
How does volunteering for others help my health?
A recent survey of volunteers at a cancer center in Rio de Janeiro found that volunteers felt they benefited from volunteering about the same as the patients they were attending. Volunteering has consistently been shown to improve a sense of well-being in the volunteer, as well as increase life satisfaction and improve mood.
Volunteering not only improves our psyche, but general health is also better. Doctors at Stanford University published their findings of a link between volunteering and risk of death in the Journal of Health Psychology. They monitored over 7500 seniors in the United States for 8 years. Compared to people who “never volunteered,” people who “volunteered rarely” had a 41 percent decreased risk of dying. People reporting they “sometimes volunteered” reduced their risk of death by 42 percent, while those “volunteering frequently” reduced their risk by 53 percent.
How much should I plan to volunteer
As with all good things in life – moderation is the key. As volunteer commitments increase, health benefits improve, up to a peak improvement when people are donating about 2 and ½ hours each week. People who volunteer more than that often find that volunteering becomes stressful and begins to interfere with their daily routine.
In general, health benefits are greatest when volunteer activities are concentrated with a single organization. Most people find their health benefits begin to diminish when they volunteer for more than one group. Seniors, however, achieve the best health benefits when they volunteer for more than one organization. Seniors should probably limit commitments to two groups.
How can I get started?
Here’s where Fluffy can really help. If you’re not currently involved in a volunteer activity, you might want to consider volunteer opportunities with Toby. Medical facilities often welcome properly trained dogs to participate in their volunteer programs as therapy dogs – with you as the tag-along handler. If you’re hesitant to start volunteering or shy about starting up conversations, Fido will lead the way as the perfect ice breaker. No one can resist breaking into a smile when an adorable fluff ball comes bounding down the hall. And after announcing Baxter’s name and breed, you’ll soon find your therapy dog will take care of the rest of the visit. Organizations that welcome therapy dogs include:
- Nursing homes
- Hospitals
- Hospice facilities
- School and library reading programs
- Some bookstores for reading programs
Both you and your dog will need some training before you get started and most facilities require testing through organizations like American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Delta Society, or Therapy Dogs International. If you’re interested in becoming a pet therapy handler, talk to your local animal shelter, facilities that conduct obedience classes, and area hospitals about requirements in your area and facilities that provide training and testing. You can find a testing center for CGC in your area at: http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/cgc_schedule.cfm.
So enlist the aid of your canine volunteer partner, provide joy and comfort to others, and improve your own life satisfaction and overall health by starting to volunteer. Remember these tips for successful volunteering:
- Find an activity you’re passionate about
- Limit your volunteering to one activity or two if you’re a senior
- Limit your weekly volunteer commitment to 2½ hours
- Train Princess to be a therapy dog
If you’re interested in pet therapy, visit:
Article contributed by regular guest blogger Dawn A. Marcus.
About the author: Dawn A. Marcus, MD is a medical doctor and professor at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She also serves as medical expert to Del Monte’s Power of Paws program, which promotes better human health through pet companionship. She is an internationally-recognized speaker, educator, and author, receiving the National Headache Foundation Media Excellence Award. Dr. Marcus has written nine medical books, including her latest book, Fit As Fido: Follow Your Dog to Better Health. Visit her websites www.dawnmarcusmd.com and www.fitasfido.com.
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