Health

Volunteerism

The Benefits of Volunteering

"By fostering connection, purpose and engagement, volunteering not only enriches individuals’ lives, but also offers a critical response to today’s pressing public health challenges." 

— From Nice to Necessary: Unleashing the Impact of Volunteering Through Transformative Investment, Points of Light, 2025

During the development of the current Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), our community identified community-building spaces, social support, and connection as top priorities for improving health and wellbeing in Larimer County. Volunteerism offers a powerful means to meet those needs.

Volunteering & Mental Health

Volunteering has significant mental health benefits. Research has shown that volunteering leads to lower rates of depression and anxiety, especially for people ages 65 and older. Volunteering has also been shown to reduce stress and alleviate feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. 

Those who volunteer regularly report more positive feelings both about themselves and their community. Volunteering offers many a sense of purpose and greater life satisfaction. Research has shown that volunteers report more self-esteem and a greater sense of self-efficacy than their peers who do not volunteer. They also report a greater sense of appreciation for their community and feeling more appreciated as an individual. 

Interestingly, those who give their time to a cause they care about, were shown to have a greater sense of time-affluency, or perception of how much they were able to do with their time.

Volunteering & Connection

Volunteering provides opportunities to meet new people, increase social interactions, and build or expand your support network. Volunteering with friends and family is also a great way to strengthen existing relationships.

Research has shown that volunteers are less socially isolated and report a greater sense of belonging and social connectedness than their peers. Volunteering also has a ripple effect - people are more likely to volunteer if someone in their social circle volunteers and those who volunteer are more likely to participate in other acts of civic engagement such as voting.

The Impact

Nationally, nearly one-third of the nonprofit workforce is made up of volunteers. Here in Colorado, more than 1.6 million volunteers contributed 92,457,138 hours of service to organizations in 2023. This volunteering contributed $3.4 billion in economic value. On average, about one-third of Colorado residents volunteer.

Volunteers have a significant impact in Larimer County. In 2024:

  • 181 people volunteered as Court Appointed Special Advocates with CASA of Larimer County, donating 7,998 hours and serving 319 children.
  • 394 people volunteered with Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud to deliver 92,698 meals and provide 84,258 social and wellness visits for 783 clients.
  • 11,188 people donated more than 69,000 hours to the Food Bank for Larimer County to distribute 12.24 million pounds of food to more than 54,000 individuals facing food insecurity.
  • Volunteers donated 3,052 hours to Neighbor to Neighbor to help prevent 811 evictions, 355 utility shut-offs, 659 foreclosures and help 117 clients move into stable homes.
  • 251 people volunteered with The Matthews House, donating 2,801 hours to support 2,937 families and young adults with education, resource navigation, relationship building, and more.

This is just a small portion of the work volunteers contribute to our community. Volunteerism drives meaningful and lasting change at the individual, community, and societal level.

The Need

About 50% of critical volunteer openings remain unfilled each year. 

Many organizations have struggled to fill volunteer positions since the pandemic. From 2019 to 2021, formal volunteering in Colorado decreased by 16 percent. Since 2021, we have made up about half of that deficit, but volunteering rates are still well below pre-pandemic levels.

Get Started

No matter the size of the commitment, volunteering can have a positive impact for you and your community. Consider what you are passionate about and look for an opportunity that matches your skills, interests, and schedule. 

Find local volunteer opportunities at volunteermatch.org.

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Tirzah - Meals on Wheels

Tirzah, a volunteer at Meals on Wheels, smiles at the camera while sharing her story.
Tirzah has been volunteering with Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud for about nine months. She shared a bit about her experience with us. You can read her story below or watch the full interview at [link].

 

How did you start volunteering with Meals on Wheels?

I knew people that were volunteering and I was very interested so I asked them, “What are some of the points and parts that you are getting out of this?” because I wanted to help in my community. I’m very pro-volunteer. I also drive by this facility a lot. 

I became more interested when I felt like I was talking to a lot of people about volunteering, but I wasn’t actually volunteering. So I thought, I need to step through that door and actually make a difference. It’s easy to say I want to, but then I wasn’t doing it. So that’s how I originally started - just walking through the doors.

How has volunteering with Meals on Wheels impacted you?

It’s impacted me in different ways. I do give back to the community in different ways, but this one particularly - I thought I would just drop off meals and that would be it. But the reciprocity piece has been a big deal for me. 

Going into people’s homes, at first they aren’t sure, and a lot of people don’t really see other people throughout their day. So we are a face of hope and bring them food so they don’t have to cook, but also camaraderie and friendship. I have gotten to know a few of the people that I deliver to and it’s become much more personal. I’ve gotten to know their families. They’re just amazing people and some weren’t very friendly in the beginning. So I think it also represents a small piece of hope for each person. 

It’s become a colder world where sometimes people just don’t interact. So it has represented that to me, that I get to see and connect with people and be a part of their life. I love it. It’s been great. 

And it is a reciprocity piece. I think when people talk about volunteering, it is a piece where you’re giving your time, you’re giving your energy and you’re not getting money for it, but you’re getting so much more back.