After my matric, I spend my holidays volunteering at LOFOB – Legal Friends of the Blind – in Grassy Park Cape Town. It has truly opened my eyes to see the different benefits and reasons why one should volunteer.

Here are a few benefits of volunteering:

1. Adds to your CV and school applications
Being able to say you’ve volunteered, makes your CV much more colourful. It also shows your future employers that you are not lazy and willing to work.

2. Increases confidence and experience
Being able to say that you’ve volunteered can increase your confidence level, because you’ve done something constructive and worthwhile with your time.

3. Broadens your view of life
When you’ve volunteered at places you’ve never been to, it can open an entire new window to a new setting, seeing how others live and going behind scenes.

4. A way to meet new friends and connect with different people
Volunteering lets you meet new people that you’ve never thought of meeting. You might even meet friends that can last a lifetime. Memories are created when you start volunteering.

5. It’s your choice
The best part about volunteering is that you get to decide where you’d like to volunteer. It is a place of your choice, and you can base it on your interests and on what you would like to learn. However, it can be good to place yourself out of your comfort zone and volunteer somewhere new.

Now that we have an idea of some of the benefits of volunteering (and trust me, there are plenty) now let’s take a brief look at just some of the few places one can volunteer at.

Here are a few ideas of places to volunteer:

• SPCA
This is short for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If you love animals, then the SPCA is a good place to volunteer your time. It will brighten up your day and you will learn so much more about taking care of animals.

• LOFOB
Lofob is short for the Legal Friends of the Blind. It is a school and home for the blind. People of all ages and genders, volunteering at LOFOB will touch your heart to see that we are so privileged to be able to see when others don’t have that privilege.

• Museums/Aquariums
Museums often need help, and you can learn a lot from them. In Cape Town there is also the aquarium, where you can be trained to give tours. It is a great learning experience and will certainly broaden your horizons.

• Local Library
If you love books, the library is great for you. Most libraries will be willing to take on a helping hand. You have the chance to read so many more books and also to discover books you didn’t know about. If you’re into admin work, this is also a good place to start.

There are many more places to volunteer. Go online and research places in your city or area that are suitable for you. Always remember that volunteering doesn’t only benefit your CV but it benefits your well-being, knowing that you made a difference to someone else is very rewarding.

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Tell us: Have you volunteered before and where have you volunteered?