Maybe you have seen ads online from organizations looking for volunteers and wondered about the benefits of volunteering for you or your teen. Maybe it has crossed your mind to help out, but you don’t know where to start or if you even have the time.
There is a strong case for making the time, though. Many people find that giving back leaves them feeling happier and more satisfied with their lives.
At Davis-Smith Mental Health in New Lenox, IL, we counsel teens and young adults, and we know how much feeling connected and useful matters at those ages. Here is how volunteering changed things for me, how it can support your mental health, and simple ways to get started.
My Early Experience With Volunteering
When I was a teen, I was involved in many after-school activities. I never felt like I had enough time for my social life, homework, church, and family, but I loved being busy with my clubs and sports.
During this time, I joined a choir at my church that would travel to nursing homes in the area to sing and perform for the residents. I loved visiting older adults. They were always so kind, but they often looked lonely and seemed isolated from the rest of society.
My choir director would encourage us to go out into the audience after each performance and socialize with the residents. During these times, I was often nervous about what I should say or do.
I remember one older gentleman in particular who looked at me, grabbed my hand, and told me that I looked like I had character in my eyes. I was not sure what he meant by that, and I was a little creeped out that he had grabbed my hand!
Still, I sat there and listened as he told me stories of his youth and of his grandchildren, whom he missed because they had moved away and could not visit often. I mostly sat there, nodded at times, and smiled as he told his stories.
That is one of the quiet lessons of volunteering. You do not have to say anything brilliant, because often, showing up and listening is the whole gift.
Life Got Busy After High School
The stories of this man always stuck with me, and a little piece of my heart always knew that someday I needed to volunteer with older adults. Yet I struggled to find the time.
I went away to college and fought my way through, taking 21 credit hours at times. It was not until my junior year that I decided to get more involved in activities, like I had in high school.
I joined the gerontology club along with the social work club. They often did outreach in the community and volunteered at a local nursing home once a month. I figured once a month could be doable for me, and since I had wanted to volunteer with older folks for so long, this was my chance.
How Helping Others Helped Me
Long story short, I ended up loving it! I spent my free time two to four days a week visiting my favorite residents at the nursing home.
The joy and fulfillment it gave me helped me put aside the busyness and stress of the week. One thing led to the next, and I soon began volunteering at an alternative high school on Fridays when I did not have classes.
Most of my free time was filled with helping others, and it never felt like work to me. I began to enjoy college. My stress and anxiety were lifted by helping others, and it really made a difference in the person I came to be.
Teens often feel nervous, as I did, about having enough time, knowing what to do or say, or simply not knowing how to get started. I would challenge your teens to get out of their comfort zones, find something they are passionate about, and go for it!
Volunteering and giving to others can be incredibly satisfying. It also builds empathy in a way that is hard to learn from a book or a lecture.
Help Others, Help Yourself: 7 Benefits of Volunteering
Consider reaching out to your local food pantry, homeless shelter, animal shelter, nursing home, hospital, or church. There are so many opportunities to serve your community!
Here are some of the ways giving your time can support your mental health, along with what they can look like in real life.
1. It Can Reduce Stress
Helping others gives you a feeling of accomplishment and purpose, which can boost your mood. Focusing on someone else for an hour also gives your own worries a much-needed break.
2. It Can Lift a Low Mood
Volunteering can keep your mind busy with something meaningful instead of stuck in negative thinking. It also gets you out of the house and around people, which helps on days when you feel low.
If someone is struggling with depression, volunteering does not replace treatment. It can be one helpful piece of feeling better, alongside support like depression therapy.
3. It Helps Prevent Feelings of Isolation
Volunteering puts you side by side with people who care about the same things you do. Plenty of friendships start while sorting cans at a food pantry or walking dogs at a shelter.
4. It Builds Confidence
Some volunteer roles teach new skills, like organizing donations, tutoring younger kids, or caring for animals. Teens also get practice talking with adults and new people, which builds social skills over time.
5. It Gives a Sense of Purpose and Meaning
Many people find a sense of purpose through meaningful work and experiences. Knowing that someone’s day was a little better because you showed up is a powerful feeling.
6. It Can Ignite a Passion
Volunteering is a fun, low-pressure way to explore different interests, or even to work alongside someone who is a master at what they do. A teen who helps at an animal shelter might discover a love for veterinary work, and one who tutors might find a gift for teaching.
7. It Can Make You Happy
There is a reason people talk about a “helper’s high.” Doing something kind for someone else often leaves you feeling lighter and happier than when you walked in.
If you want to read more, the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley has a collection of articles on altruism and kindness.
How Teens Can Get Started and Enjoy the Benefits of Volunteering
Consider contacting the local organization of your choice to get started today! If you are not sure where to begin, these steps can help:
- Start with what you care about. Love animals? Try a shelter. Enjoy little kids? Look into tutoring or library programs.
- Be honest about your time. Once a month is a great start. You can always add more later.
- Ask about age requirements. Many places have a minimum age or ask younger teens to volunteer with a parent, so call ahead.
- Bring a friend. Going with a friend or family member makes the first visit a lot less nerve-wracking.
- Expect a little awkwardness. It is normal to feel unsure the first few times. Listening and smiling go a long way.
| Age | Volunteer ideas | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Kids under 12 | Making cards for nursing home residents, collecting food for a pantry drive, helping a neighbor with yard work | Works best alongside a parent or family member |
| Younger teens | Animal shelter helper, library reading programs, park cleanups, church or community events | Some places have age minimums, so ask first |
| Older teens | Tutoring, food pantry shifts, nursing home visits, coaching younger kids | Great for building skills and confidence |
| Young adults | Campus service clubs, mentoring, shelters, community outreach | A natural way to make friends in a new place |
Parents, you can make it easier by volunteering together as a family, and you get to enjoy the benefits of volunteering too. Teens are often more willing to try something new when they are not doing it alone.
When Stress or Loneliness Needs More Than Volunteering
The benefits of volunteering are real, but helping others is not a fix for everything. If your teen is pulling away, overwhelmed, or anxious most of the time, a volunteer schedule will not solve that on its own.
| What you notice | Everyday stress | Time to get support |
|---|---|---|
| Mood | Bounces back after rest or fun plans | Low, irritable, or flat most days for weeks |
| Friends | Some busy weeks with less social time | Pulling away from friends and activities they used to enjoy |
| Worry | Nerves before something new, like a first volunteer shift | Worry or panic that keeps them from trying new things at all |
| Schedule | Busy but manageable | Overloaded, exhausted, and unable to keep up |
If your teen fits more of the last column, talking with a counselor is a good next step. The National Institute of Mental Health also has helpful tips on caring for your mental health.
If your teen ever talks about hurting themselves or not wanting to be here, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, any time. In an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room.
How Therapy Helps Teens Step Out of Their Comfort Zone
Sometimes the nerves that keep a teen from volunteering, joining a club, or trying something new are part of something bigger, like social anxiety. Therapy can help them build the confidence to step out of their comfort zone a little at a time.
At Davis-Smith Mental Health, sessions with teens are relaxed and conversational, and we use approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help them face fears in manageable steps. Learn more about our teen counseling in New Lenox and social anxiety counseling for teens, or read our post on when fear gets in the way of new experiences.
It only takes one smile, one act of kindness, and one step forward to create positive change, both for the person you are serving and for yourself.
Feel More Connected and Less Alone
If stress, anxiety, or loneliness is holding your teen back, you do not have to figure it out alone. We see clients in person at our New Lenox office and through telehealth, as long as they are physically located in Illinois during each session.
We serve families from Joliet, Frankfort, Mokena, Lockport, and across Will County. Call (815) 409-5940 or request a session online to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Personalized care
Licensed, caring therapists
Every therapist on our team works with anxiety. We will match you with the right therapist for you.
Anxiety at the center
Anxiety is the foundation of everything we do.
EMDR-trained care
EMDR helps clients process what talk therapy alone can’t reach.
Every age and stage
From children and teens to young adults and adults.
In-person and telehealth
Our New Lenox office or secure online therapy for clients in Illinois.
In-network with
- Aetna PPO
- Cigna / Evernorth
- BCBS PPO
- UnitedHealthcare
- UMR
- Initial assessment $200
- Ongoing sessions $150
Insurance and rates
Insurance Accepted
We work with most major insurance plans and offer self-pay options. We believe quality mental health care should be accessible. Davis-Smith Mental Health is in-network with the following insurance providers.
We also offer self-pay options and can provide a Superbill for out-of-network benefits.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
If something told you to keep reading this far, trust that feeling. Whether it’s for yourself, your teen, or your young adult, the hardest part is deciding to start. We are here when you are ready.
there is courage in change ♥
