The Benefits of Community Service During Recovery
Health, home, purpose and community: these are the four major milestones that support a person in recovery, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Recovery brings new hope for a life that provides meaningful interactions and service to others. For many in recovery, this begins with community service. Spending one’s time actively building healthy relationships with individuals. Through volunteering interactions, those in recovery are able to gain support and friendship through a new network of people they may never have met otherwise.
Where to start & generating excitement
Volunteering doesn’t have to be time-consuming, and it shouldn’t necessarily feel like work.
The first step is to think of things you enjoy doing. Perhaps this is, organizing and filing or engaging in manual labor tasks, such as cleaning, painting or building. Regardless of your particular interest, there is usually a community organization that matches well with it.
Some examples of places in your community to consider volunteering include:
- Animal shelters
- Food pantries
- Hospitals
- Libraries
- Museums
- Non-profit organizations
- Schools
Some people also choose to give back to programs that helped them while in recovery, this is an option for the day when you feel stronger and wish to encourage others who are on their ways to recovery.