Volunteer: it’s good for your health
–We’ve all read about the benefits of volunteering: staying active, making new friends, learning new skills, contributing to society, etc. But according to an article in the September 2018 issue of Live Well, Be Well, an Alliant Insurance Services newsletter, several studies suggest that there may be measurable health benefits to volunteering.
• Blood Pressure: Adults 50 and older who volunteered about 200 hours per year were less likely to develop high blood pressure than non-volunteers (Carnegie Mellon).
• PTSD: Volunteering regularly through community agencies effectively helped more than 300 veterans cope with PTSD (St. Louis University).
• Memory: Research involving more than 13,000 people found volunteering frequently over a period of time decreased the risk of memory and other thinking problems later in life (Arizona State University et al.).
• Lifespan: People who volunteered regularly and frequently to help other people extended their lifespans beyond non-volunteering peers (Wisconsin Longitudinal Study).
The Paso Robles City Library offers volunteer opportunities for adults and high school students. For more information, contact Suzanne at srobitaille@prcity.com or visit https://www.prcity.com/251/Volunteer.
The Paso Robles City Library is located at 1000 Spring Street and is open Monday – Friday 10-8, and Saturday 10-5. For more information on library programs and events, please call (805) 237-3870 or visit www.prcity.com/library.
