What does volunteering and wetting your pants have in common? Everyone can see you doing it but only you get a warm feeling.

In 2022 about a quarter (26.7 per cent) of Australians enjoyed that warm feeling of volunteering over a 12 month period and just under half (46.5 per cent) had undertaken informal volunteering in the previous four weeks. Kids were cared for by friends, pets were looked after, meals were prepared for the sick and the less fortunate, food parcels were created, debris large and small were removed from roads and yards after storms, mud armies united to clean up after floods and the list goes on. Our volunteer work knows no bounds. This equated to an estimated annual contribution of $290 billion to our economic and social good. That’s pretty amazing.

Every hour that volunteers gave was dedicated to making our communities a better place to live. We volunteer to make a difference for personal growth and development, to build relationships and networking, to create a sense of purpose, to strengthen communities, foster empathy and understanding and importantly create positive change.

Mums of the Hills would not have the level of success it has had online and in our communities without a small army of dedicated volunteers. Each one of them is M.A.D…. Making A Difference. They are part of the quarter of Australians who know the secret to a long and happy life. Pharmaceutical companies have us think that to live a long life we need to take this or drink that. But we know better. Like you, those at your table have discovered that the secret to a long and happy life is to volunteer. This is consistently backed by research. To live as long and as well as you can, start to volunteer. We truly get back more than we give when we volunteer. Not only will you make a difference in your community, but you will benefit from the side effects of service.

This week I reflected on why I volunteer and when did I really feel great about it. At it’s core there were some key things. Following your heart, keeping it pure, and getting the right dose.

Firstly – Follow your heart

This is all about connection. Following your passion, maybe you feel a calling or maybe it’s something to do with your faith. For mums of the hills, those daily conversations about the struggles of mums have lead many of our members to reach out to offer their time and we’ve welcomed them with open arms.

Up until now MotHs has mainly been an online group so that much of our volunteer work could be done from the comfort of our homes and at a time that suited us. That was a real bonus. Volunteers still meet up to discuss ideas and plans but in general we try to keep things flexible. That’s the demographic space we are in.

Next – Keeping it Pure

Volunteering should always come from a place of altruism. You should never feel obliged to help. You shouldn’t feel guilted into volunteering. It leaves a bad taste and loses its health benefits.

Lastly - Don’t Overdo it

A little goes a long way. Admittedly that’s a bit cheeky coming from me. as I think I clock up the annual hours of volunteering in less than a month. But the stats say though that you will reap the maximum health benefits by volunteering 2 to 4 hours a week.

Celebrate the Success

No matter how small the job or event is, it should be celebrated. Volunteering is as much about achieving an outcome as it is about the positive connection with others it provides. So create those opportunities to celebrate with those that you have shared the experience with. You’ve just created a memory (and hopefully a friend) for life.

Recognise the effort Given

This should be a given but I’ll say it anyway. Never, ever, ever forget to thank and show appreciate to volunteers. Our communities thrive because of the care and dedication of our volunteers. They deserve all the thanks and praise we can give them.

So thank you to each and every person that has given their time to help Mums of the Hills and our wider community thrive. I am so grateful to live in a community with you.