The announcement of the 2021 Outstanding Volunteer Leader of the Year Award came at the end of the National银屑病Foundation’s virtual October Community Conference. I felt honored to be one of the nine finalists and thought that any of the other nominees would be deserving of this honor.
To my great surprise,I heard my name announced as the winner并在屏幕上看到我的图片闪光灯。我的妻子洛瑞给了我一个拥抱，而那些会议上的人会给我祝贺我祝贺。
Volunteering is a big part of who I am. Over the years, I’ve given my time and energy to local food banks, churches, schools, and youth sports teams, and as a church minister I recruited and supported volunteers. I’ve volunteered with the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) for years, hoping to improve the lives of those impacted by psoriatic disease.
A fellow NPF volunteer at the conference rightly noted that we don’t do what we do for the recognition; we do it to help others. Still, I’ve personally experienced many benefits from volunteering that I hope encourage you to volunteer as well.
Here are five ways volunteering has made my life better — plus one pitfall to watch out for.
志愿服务可以帮助您遇到类似的值
志愿服务的一个巨大好处是与关心你所做的原因的人会面，具有类似的价值观。我的第一个宣传事件与NPF将我介绍给来自不同背景的人群，共同致渴望帮助银屑病疾病界。
脱颖而出的一个经验是在2015年4月，当我开车到萨克拉门托的加州州议会大厦30分钟，加入了第一个年度加利福尼亚大堂日的NPF志愿者。我们的使命是与国家立法者讨论有关获取医疗保健的票据。我在大堂日制作的联系和友谊是我今天仍然非常感谢。
Volunteering Takes the Focus Off Yourself
I become particularly self-focused when my psoriasis is not doing well. Self-care is important during those times, but I also find myself losing perspective and imagining worst-case scenarios.
对我来说，志愿服务可以通过将我的重点向外重定向来帮助解决这个问题。例如，组织第一个萨克拉门托团队NPF散步为我艰难时光。我的工作在许多前沿和我的工作感到挑战psoriasis was flaring，这导致我强调潜在变化biologics.
把我的注意力放在这个活动上导致我看到我的困难。我在规划步行路径时，我找到了快乐，与皮肤科办公室交谈，并邀请参与者加入筹款人。这一切都让我更多的能量来解决我自己的个人问题。
RELATED:How to Beat the Psoriasis-Stress Cycle
Volunteering Can Give You Purpose
寻找通过志愿服务进行差异的方法可以给你的生活意义和目的。
我通过在别人的生活中有所作为。是否为那些经历粮食不安全或教授青年棒球运动员如何领土的人提供感恩节，我想提升他人。在这个过程中，我发现自己的生活是丰富的。
我致力于我的NPF志愿者工作到我觉得我可以拥有最大的影响，例如使用教育来减少牛皮癣常伴的耻辱。通过筹款活动，我也希望帮助提高更好的治疗和治疗方法，我努力支持同胞们倡导自己和他人。
志愿服务可以帮助您构建技能
志愿服务可以提供发展或利用您的技能集的机会。我已经把我的教学技能作为青年教练，而我的社交媒体参与随着NPF社会大使而增加。我教导着训练志愿者，了解如何在教堂领导会议和导师大学生。
我是一个保守的和内向的人，但志愿者也教会了我很多关于大胆和自信的人。在工作中，我在公开演讲和领先的团队中培养了技能，但要求立法者支持一项将有助于慢性病社区中的法案感到不同甚至可怕的条例草案。
在一些立法会议中，我是那个需要给予“问”的人。随着时间的推移，我对我来说，在那些情况下刺手了自己更加自然 - 并且因此在我生命中的其他领域。
Volunteering Helps You Contribute to the Solution
It’s easy for me to get overwhelmed by the size and needs of the psoriasis community. When I think about the more than8 million people in the United States and 125 million worldwide生活在银屑病疾病中，我感觉很小。我有时会发现自己抱怨，而不是做一些主动。
志愿者活动提供了一个积极的direction to channel that unproductive energy. Instead of bemoaning the problem, I can be part of the solution. Joining a patient advocacy organization like the NPF brings me together with others who are rowing in the same direction. Together, we can bring about a cure for psoriasis and improve lives.
RELATED:You — Yes, You! — Can Become a Psoriasis Patient Advocate
但注意：志愿者有时会伸展你太瘦了
虽然我喜欢志愿者，但我发现自己不时过度。我想做一切，但是当我的健康保证更多的关注或工作特别忙时，我学到了何时回来或说不。
Still, there are so many ways to contribute to the betterment of others through volunteering, and what compels me may be different than what excites you. If you have time and energy to offer, consider how you can get involved and experience the joy of giving to others.
Learn more aboutvolunteering with the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Important:本文中表达的观点和意见是作者而不是日常健康。bob体育在线
