Snyder on the “two-way street” of Volunteerism

When people volunteer, they are well aware of the good that they are doing for other people; but, volunteers aren’t always aware of the benefits they themselves gain from their volunteering. In the StarTribune article, “Both ‘sides’ win in the volunteering game,” Dr. Mark Snyder, who has studied volunteerism for several decades, shares this about volunteers: “doing good for others and doing good for themselves both sustain their volunteering.” This can be seen as a “two-way street” where both the volunteers and those they serve benefit. Snyder says that the benefits that volunteers experience include meeting people and making friends, developing new skills, and the “warm glow”  that comes from seeing the smiles on the faces of those helped by volunteers. 

Mark Snyder, PhD, McKnight Presidential Chair in Psychology, and Director of the Center for the Study of the Individual and Society, in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota.