{"id":633,"date":"2014-11-30T17:19:58","date_gmt":"2014-11-30T17:19:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/?p=633"},"modified":"2015-11-24T16:43:18","modified_gmt":"2015-11-24T16:43:18","slug":"volunteer-work-getting-the-gift-to-keep-on-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/trot\/2014\/11\/30\/volunteer-work-getting-the-gift-to-keep-on-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"Volunteer Work: Getting the Gift to Keep on Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Volunteering_SVG\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As the holiday season draws near, Americans are gearing up for one of their favorite holiday traditions – volunteering. A time when one is supposed to \u201cspread good cheer,\u201d the season consistently brings a spike in volunteer activity. News outlets all over the country are urging us to \u201cshow your gratefulness this holiday in a truly meaningful way<\/a>\u201d and \u201ctake stock of those in need of a hot meal or a warm coat<\/a>\u201d before we turn to our own celebrations. While it\u2019s not surprising to see such\u00a0spikes around this time, as American culture encourages such behavior and you can\u2019t swing a turkey without hitting a flyer or advertisement seeking volunteers, what about the rest of the year? What motivates volunteers when spreading good cheer gives way to a busy new year full of work deadlines, weight loss goals, and taxes?<\/p>\n

Psychologists point to individual-level motivations such as a desire to express one\u2019s humanitarian values and gain a better understanding of an issue or a community as strong motivators for volunteerism. However, these motivations don\u2019t lead people to volunteer for just any cause. Persuasive messages and feedback from leaders of volunteer groups, as well as how well the group and its goals fit with the volunteer\u2019s goals, are also major factors.<\/h5>\n