Want to Stay Happy and Healthy? Volunteer!

Harvard University began a study about their graduates' lives in the late 1930s and it continued for 75 years. The indisputable result of this wide-ranging, far-reaching scientific study was very clear; what keeps people happy and healthy is good relationships. And the quantity is much less important than the quality.

What is also clear, is that, in our technology-driven society, people can be very isolated, and loneliness is becoming an epidemic. A recent major study in the UK indicated the solution: volunteering. Two-thirds of the people responding said that volunteering made them feel more connected, to people and society as a whole.

With this in mind, I'll just remind you that the Helpline Center is all about fostering those connections between people. The volunteering options they offer reach into any area you can imagine or gravitate toward.

Here are just a few opportunities coming up:

• JazzFest - Friday and Saturday, July 19 and 20 at Yankton Trails Park. If you're a music lover, it is a good time to be a volunteer in Sioux Falls! This amazing fundraiser for the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society presents two days of absolutely free music and draws people from all over the country.
• American Cancer Society's Relay for Life - Friday, July 26th at Yankton Trails Park. This inspiring event needs people to help with set up and all the activities
• 15th Annual Stogeez Steakout Fundraiser - This delicious event raises crib funds for the Teddy Bear Den. Volunteers are needed to help with set up and tear down. You'll get a delicious dinner and a free t-shirt for your assistance.
• DIY Project - This summer the Helpline Center has a different do-it-yourself project every week for families to do at home & then bring to the Helpline Center for distribution. This week's fun project is "Birthday-in-a-Bag"

There are so many more ways for people to make connections, and a difference, just by checking in with the Helpline Center online, on Facebook or call 211.