Motivation to Volunteer

Volunteering is an altruistic approach to helping those in need in countless ways. There are many people that volunteer their time, efforts, and wisdom to others but are not directly benefitted by this action. But what is the motivation to drive someone to risk their life as a volunteer fire fighter, or why are people reading books to children in the library in their spare time? The motivation to volunteer varies between individuals due to cultural differences and moral beliefs. But the base incentive to the majority of volunteers is intrinsic value. Helping society in whatever way they can satisfies their inner need to assist those less fortunate. People may volunteer their services for personal reasons; some may feel that they are giving back to society for something that may have happened in their own lives. There may have been someone in their lives that made an impression and may have influenced the manner in which they grew up. A way of honoring that person may be to volunteer their time to assist another with the same kindness that they were shown. There are quite a number of elderly people, who in their life work became experts at business aspects or other skills and these people wish to pass along to a younger generation, those skills and lessons learned. Others give back for religious reasons and reach out as a group or congregation to assist because of their beliefs; while some people are just put on this Earth to help others without compensation other than just feeling good about themselves. Whether the motivation to volunteer comes from personal reasons or religious motives the reasoning is the same. People who volunteer are acting in a selfless fashion and putting society in the forefront. But not matter the reasoning or the circumstances the results are identical; those less fortunate receive the assistance they