We love our Heart & Stroke volunteers. Whether they are raising funds or sharing life-saving information, they are creating more moments for people in Canada.
They do it to help others, but research shows that volunteers gain powerful benefits themselves:
- Health: A 2017 study found that men and women who regularly volunteered showed a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those who did not volunteer. Older adults who volunteer for at least 200 hours a year decrease their risk of high blood pressure by 40%, according to a 2013 study from Carnegie Mellon University.
- Time: Giving your time to other people is the best way to increase your subjective feelings of “time affluence,” according to research conducted at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
- Happiness: People who volunteer report lower levels of depression and increased life satisfaction, according to a review of studies published in BMC Public Health.
- Longer life: People who volunteered in order to help others had a lower risk of mortality after four years than people who didn’t volunteer. This research was published in Health Psychology.
Join the Heart & Stroke Canvass
Are you ready to reap these rewards and more? We need your help, to reach out to friends and family online to share important health information and raise funds for critical research.