Through the Transition2Work program, ReEmployAbility has been able to provide thousands of invaluable volunteer hours to nonprofit agencies each year. The ability to help the community motivates the dedicated team to work hard every day.
Nonprofit Impact
The foundation of ReEmployAbility is centered on the purpose of giving back and service to the community. Since its opening in 2003, ReEmployAbility has partnered with over 30,000 nonprofit organizations nationwide, ranging from large organizations like Habitat for Humanity to small, local organizations such as food pantries and libraries.
“We love the ReEmployAbility Program,” said Jeanine W., General Manager of the Children’s Boutique at Steven’s Hope. “The volunteers that come to us from ReEmployAbility are well skilled individuals who arrive daily with a friendly, helpful attitude. Their work productivity is excellent and enables us to improve our profitability and ultimately assist more families with seriously ill or injured children. Our volunteers form friendships together and it makes us very happy to see them improve from their injury and return back to work. We are very grateful for our partnership with ReEmployAbility!”
Over the past 13 years, more than 2.8 million volunteer hours have been assigned through the Transition2Work program. Volunteers are able to work safely within their restrictions as they continue to practice or learn new skills.
Top 5 Benefits of Volunteering
Not only is volunteering beneficial to the community, but many volunteers experience benefits as well. Research indicates there are many mental and physical health benefits to volunteering. Programs such as Transition2Work that place injured workers in volunteer assignments with nonprofit organizations can help achieve positive outcomes and provide these benefits for aiding recovery.
- Combat Depression: Often when injured workers spend a lot of time at home while nursing an injury, the lack of socializing could really pay a toll on mental health. Studies show that social isolation is a key factor of depression. According to an article by the Corporation for National & Community Service, volunteering can improve functional ability and lowers rates of depression.
Volunteering keeps you in regular contact with others and within a positive atmosphere, which could help combat the risk of social isolation.
- Provides Sense of Purpose: Volunteering can positively influence an injured workers’ sense of purpose, accomplishment, and self‐worth as well as increase the volunteers’ social network, help to avoid isolation, and can buffer stress. Injured workers run the risk of entering a slump where they feel they are not contributing as much as they once were. They can get their mind off of their own worries by volunteering and earning a sense of purpose by helping others.
- Improved Physical Health and Speedy Recovery: Research has proven that volunteers tend to have greater life satisfaction and better physical health than those who do not volunteer. A study by United Healthcare and VolunteerMatch shows the majority of those who volunteer (93%) reported that volunteering keeps them physically active and (84%) said it improves their physical health. Additionally, most participants (73%) cite volunteering lowers stress levels. This can lead to quicker recovery and the injured worker to return to work faster.
- Beneficial to Those Experiencing Chronic Pain: Many who sustain an injury that causes chronic pain may feel hopeless while in recovery. However, a study by Arnstein et al (2002) exploring the benefits of volunteering for those with chronic pain showed volunteers with chronic pain saw a decrease in pain intensity and levels of disability and depression.
- Development of New Skills and Experience: Not only can volunteering help with social and relationship skills, but it can also provide an opportunity to advance current labor skills and introduce injured workers to new skills that can be beneficial to their pre-injury employer. Volunteers are often in a new environment, exposed to new trades and are challenged and exposed to new tasks.
Interested In Becoming A Nonprofit Partner?
Want to make a difference in the life of an injured worker? Help someone in your area continue to earn a paycheck while volunteering for your organization! Get the extra help you need, and provide the healing opportunity of a lifetime! Contact ReEmployAbility today to learn more about the benefits of joining ReEmployAbility’s national nonprofit network and be among the first to learn of a new volunteer in your area.
