The impact that nonprofits can have on their communities is invaluable. We’ve found this to be as true at SHP as it is for other nonprofits that serve their communities. Soup kitchens that feed the hungry of their communities. Homeless shelters that offer safety, warmth, and food for the homeless in their communities. Nonprofits that provide after-school programs for the youth of their communities. Nonprofits that provide equine therapy for young adults that are struggling to process and heal from trauma they’ve endured. And nonprofits like SHP, who provide beds for kids who are sleeping on floors and have never had a bed of their own. All nonprofits have lasting impacts on those they serve in their communities.
The Impact of Volunteers on Their Communities
Have you ever volunteered with a nonprofit organization and run into someone you’ve served there in a public place like the grocery store? It’s kind of surreal. There is a deep understanding and bonding that has happened, and a recognition of each other that happens. This is one of the profound ways in which serving a nonprofit can bring communities together!
People knowing and caring for the people around them is powerful. We love this quote from Thrive Global that says, “When you volunteer your time and efforts, you start a string of positive events that happen from the time you decide to help out, until long after you’ve done your part. Volunteerism not only helps so many people, organizations, and your community as a whole, but it also brings a significant amount of joy and happiness to ourselves and the people we are helping.”
Trained volunteers are also so invaluable when it comes to the time they put into serving their communities. They can do so much for so little, and they have the heart to do it, which is so invaluable! No one works harder than a person that does something with passion and purpose. According to CDS Funds, “studies estimate that about a hundred million people volunteer each year with an annual value in the range of $150 billion. Not only do volunteers help to save money, but they can provide better service to clients, increase contact with the greater community, make available better expertise, and reduce costs of services.” Without volunteers, nonprofits wouldn’t have the impact that they do.
Volunteers also help their communities to provide critical services that are huge contributors to economic stability and mobility. They are the voices of the people they serve, and provide services that city officials usually can’t for their communities. They can be advocates for the people of their communities and provide for them in ways that others can’t.
How We Impact Our Communities Through the Help of Our Volunteers
Volunteers are the lifeblood of the nonprofits they serve. Without volunteers, nonprofits wouldn’t be able to function at the capacity that they are. When we think about our own volunteers at SHP, we are overwhelmed with gratefulness for all that they invest in our cause. If we didn’t have so many willing and passionate volunteers, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
Our volunteers embody the best that humanity has to offer. They genuinely care about the children we build beds for and the communities in which these children live. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, “America’s 1.3 million charitable nonprofits feed, heal, shelter, educate, inspire, enlighten, and nurture people of every age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status, from coast to coast, border to border, and beyond. They foster civic engagement and leadership, drive economic growth, and strengthen the fabric of our communities. Every single day.” Our organization and our volunteers are part of that, and we couldn’t be more proud!
Because of our volunteers, we’ve been able to provide beds to kids in America and Canada who don’t have them. The generosity of our volunteers continues to astound us. Many families, in particular, choose to volunteer together, and that’s truly incredible. Sleep in Heavenly Peace encourages families to volunteer or sponsor/participate in a bed building day. All they need is a willingness to learn and join in giving back to the community. To see children alongside their parents, serving the people in their communities by building beds for other children… there’s nothing like it. It truly does restore your faith in humanity.
Would you like to volunteer for the cause and help get kids into beds and off of floors? Learn more about how you can get involved today!