Get Involved

hands holding plate of food

There are many ways, big and small, that give you the opportunity to help your community on the path to wellbeing.

Give back to your community

The Red Cross’ slogan “Give blood. All you'll feel is good." has turned out to be empirically true. New research indicates that people experience an elevation in mood after donating blood or volunteering time for a greater cause. Some volunteers get a "helper's high"—they feel stronger, more energetic, and more motivated after helping others even in the smallest ways.

Tom Rath explains this in his book, Wellbeing: “When we surveyed more than 23,000 people on this topic, nearly 9 in 10 reported getting an emotional boost from doing kind things for other people.” Furthermore, Rath cites neuroscientists who have found that there is a region in the brain that lights up when money is received but lights up even more brightly when money is donated.

So, volunteering or giving to charity is a distinct activity that can improve both the health of the individual and the health of the overall community at the same time.