THE SURPRISING BENEFITS OF GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
A number of studies suggest that giving back to the community is an amazingly rewarding, and a life-changing experience. Philanthropy opens avenues to meaning and contentment and can likely positively impact an individual's health both mentally and physically. In research conducted by the National Institutes of Health, participants who chose to donate a portion of $100 they were provided enjoyed activated pleasure centers in the brain. Although this experiment was controlled and scientific, it did show that donating money simply makes you feel better, which is something we can all benefit from. Another 2017 report from the Women's Philanthropy Institute noted that people are happier overall when they give to others and that the more they do or give, the happier they tend to be. It's simply referred to as "the joy of giving." Some of the benefits of giving back to the community include: a sense of purpose, stress reduction, spreading light to the neediest, and enlightening our souls in the process. According to Stephen G. Post, professor of preventive medicine and the director and founder of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University, acting generously and giving back could help lower your stress levels. There are several ways in which you can help out or give back to the community. Some of these include providing your time to those in need, a random act of kindness, helping animals in need, financial donations, buying products that are ethically sourced, providing a warm meal on someone’s table, donating to food drives, supporting your local farmers, volunteering at senior centers, donating blood, organizing a community cleanup, and participating in a local fundraiser or a race – notes Shilpa Tiku, Chief Research Officer and Partner at Verify Markets.
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