#1 Perk of Being a HHM Volunteer: Volunteering connects you to others by increasing your social and relationship skills and you will make new friends and contacts

• One of the better-known benefits of volunteering is the impact on the community. Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together. Volunteering allows you to connect to your community and make it a better place. Even helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people and organizations in need. And volunteering is a two-way street: It can benefit you and your family as much as the cause you choose to help. Dedicating your time as a volunteer helps you make new friends, expand your network, and boost your social skills.

# 2 Perk of Being a HHM Volunteer: “The happiness effect”
• Helping others kindles happiness, as many studies have demonstrated. When researchers at the London School of Economics examined the relationship between volunteering and measures of happiness in a large group of American adults, they found the more people volunteered, the happier they were, according to a study in Social Science and Medicine. Compared with people who never volunteered, the odds of being “very happy” rose 7% among those who volunteer monthly and 12% for people who volunteer every two to four weeks.

#3 Perk of Being a HHM Volunteer: Volunteering can advance your career by providing career experience, teaching you valuable job skills, and when it comes to volunteering passion and positivity are the only requirements
• If you’re considering a new career, volunteering can help you get experience in your area of interest and meet people in the field. Even if you’re not planning on changing careers, volunteering gives you the opportunity to practice important skills used in the workplace, such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, project planning, task management, and organization. You might feel more comfortable stretching your wings at work once you’ve honed these skills in a volunteer position first.

#4 Perk of Being a HHM Volunteer: Volunteering brings fun and fulfillment to your life
• Volunteering is a fun and easy way to explore your interests and passions. Doing volunteer work may help you find a meaningful and interesting way to relax, energize you to escape from your day-to-day routine of work, school, or family commitments. Volunteering also provides you with renewed creativity, motivation, and vision that can carry over into your personal and professional life.

#5 Perk of Being a HHM Volunteer: Volunteering will give you access to cool parties, free film tickets & HMM Swag
• HHM Organizers and volunteers know how to have fun and throw a great party. Join us in the fun of pulling off a great film festival! We need you to make the festival a success!

If you are interested in being a part of the HHM Team and volunteering please go to our website and complete a short volunteer application. For more information please feel free to contact Dawn Hessell, Volunteer Coordinator at dawn@hellshalfmile.com.