Volunteering Offers Healthy Rewards
David Haskell teaches children the joy of growing and eating from a garden at the Garden of Eatin' at North Bay Children's Center in Novato, a community program that Kaiser Permanente helps support.
You've heard it before: Practice random acts of kindness. But did you know altruism may improve your health?
"True well-being is achieved when we feel connected to something beyond ourselves, whether it's other people, a pet, a plant, or the planet," says David Sobel, MD, medical director for Health Education. "Evidence suggests that a regular regimen of helping may be as important to our health as regular exercise and proper nutrition. To add to the physical benefits, there's a phenomenon called 'helper's high,' which leads to a sensation of sudden warmth, a surge of energy, and a feeling of extreme pleasure immediately after helping."
A simple act like helping out in your child's classroom for a morning can fuel good feelings all day. "Volunteering is a renewing experience that provides as much energy as exercise. The rewards of volunteering usually exceed the energy you put into it," says Richard Fleming, MD, head of the Volunteers in Public Service program. The program organizes Kaiser Permanente health care practitioners who wish to donate their time to the community.
Here are just some of Kaiser Permanente's many community benefit programs:
- Operation Access, cofounded by our San Francisco surgeon Douglas Grey, MD, has arranged nearly 2,500 free outpatient surgeries for the uninsured in the Bay Area.
- Volunteers in Public Service (VIPS) organizes charitable activities for our health care providers who are committed to volunteering their time and talents.
- Educational Theatre performs in elementary and middle schools to show kids how to be their best, from eating right to coping with bullies. In 2006, 419,141 students attended our more than 2,000 performances in California schools.
- In 2007, Kaiser Permanente physicians and employees in Northern California raised more than $1 million for 1,348 community organizations through our Community Giving Campaign. They also donated more than 3,500 volunteer hours in one day on the 2007 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Volunteerism.
For more information about community benefit programs, visit kp.org/communitybenefit
"Helping others reduces excessive self-centeredness and focus on your own health problems. It can even help with easing anxiety, depression, and a variety of chronic illnesses," says Dr. Sobel.
A 2003 study by the Institute for Social Research found that a pattern of giving may extend your life span. Over the course of the five-year study, seniors who reached out to family and friends reduced their odds of an early death by nearly 60 percent compared to those who didn't lend a helping hand. "These findings suggest it isn't so much what we get from a relationship that makes contact with others so beneficial; it’s what we give,” says lead researcher Stephanie Brown.
Giving Back Right in Your Own Backyard
When you give, you're doing something positive in a world where problems often seem overwhelming. Even if you have a busy schedule, there are many ways you can help others. For example, regularly giving rice, beans, or other staples to a food bank costs pennies per week yet can help hundreds. You can pick up litter. Donate blood. Write a thank you note.
"There are needs in every community," says Dr. Fleming. "Organizations like the Girl Scouts of the USA or the Boy Scouts of America, a food bank, Meals on Wheels, and volunteermatch.org are good sources for volunteer opportunities." Kaiser Permanente offers opportunities, too, like reading to children or volunteering in the gift shop or our Health Education Department.
Member Dorothy Thomas has been volunteering at our San Rafael Medical Center for three years. Dorothy helps members look up health information in our Health Education Department. "My husband and I have been supporters of Kaiser Permanente since 1959. Members are so grateful to get information, and it makes me feel good to give them something to walk out the door with," she says.
How much is too much?
Giving too much of your time, talents, or resources may leave you feeling tired. "Here's a good rule of thumb," advises Dr. Sobel. "The best dose of healthy helping may be the same as for other healthy habits, like exercise or relaxation: about two hours a week."