Did you know there are health benefits from helping others?
According to the Mayo Clinic, researchers found that people who volunteer their free time experience a “volunteer high.”[1] The act of volunteering can lead to lower rates of depression by “increas[ing] social interaction and help[ing] build a support system based on common interests.”[2] Acts of selflessness can also provide you with a sense of purpose and appreciation, because spending your time helping others means it is not being wasted on something trivial or meaningless. In addition, volunteering may help you reduce stress by enlarging your social circles, which may help keep you mentally and physically active.
Moreover, volunteering can also help boost your self-esteem. By expanding your social circles, “you’re always surrounded by a community that’s willing to help you out when times get tough. When you volunteer, you become a part of someone else’s safety net, too. By helping others, you’ll build a greater sense of trust and self-esteem.”[3]
Castle Connolly Private Health Partners understands how important it is to participate with the community, which is why we’ve created the Community Giveback Program. Kicking off the program in New York, where our headquarters is located, we are partnering with The Bowery Mission. This partnership will provide an opportunity for the CCPHP family - us, our Members and our Physicians - to provide services and support for the community that we all care so much about.[4] We will provide support for everything from fundraising events to SENS Solutions® workshops to connecting physicians interested in working with the Mission’s health clinic. As CCPHP continues to grow, we will be expanding the program into other communities that we are affiliated with.
This program will give you the opportunity to improve your own health by helping those in need improve theirs. Interested in getting involved? Contact Emily Golloub at communitygiveback@ccphp.net.
[1] Mayo Clinic Health System. (2017, May 28). Helping People, Changing Lives. The Mayo Clinic Health System. Retrieved from https://mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/helping-people-changing-lives-the-6-health-benefits-of-volunteering.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Shinn, C. 8 Long-Term Health Benefits of Volunteering. NonprofitHub.org. Retrieved from https://nonprofithub.org/featured/8-long-term-health-benefits-of-volunteering/.
[4] The Bowery Mission has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since 1879. Today, the Bowery Mission provides services, including medical, which meet these New Yorkers’ immediate needs, transform lives, and gives hope. Last year, The Bowery Mission provided over 653,500 warm meals 167,300 nights of shelter 46,400 articles of clothing, 13,300 showers and 1,300 onsite medical, dental and optometry exams. Each meal and every service is an invitation to residential and community programs that help clients make progress. In 2017, the Bowery Mission served 354 adults in its residential recovery programs and 800 more at its affiliated Community Hope Resource Center (CHRC). The CHRC, located in East Harlem, offers clients free access to services such as legal counsel, medical care, vocational training and crisis intervention — all in one accessible place. In the past two years, The Bowery Mission expanded its front-line services to new neighborhoods by uniting with Goodwill Rescue Mission in New Jersey and New York City Rescue Mission.