The Power of Volunteering: How You Can Make a Difference at the YMCA of Western NC

A single volunteer can transform a person's life. An organization powered by volunteers can transform a region. Volunteerism is how the YMCA of Western North Carolina delivers transformative change. With their combined efforts, we're able to carry out our mission to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind, and body for all.

The vital role that volunteers play in restoring and strengthening our communities has been one of the biggest lessons learned this past year. The need for dedicated, consistent volunteers was great before Hurricane Helene, but it's been essential ever since. Thanks to our YMCA volunteer efforts, we distributed essential supplies and refreshing showers to households that remained without necessities in the hurricane's wake.

So, whether you've been searching for "volunteer opportunities near me" or just starting to discover volunteerism, this blog is worth a read. Below, we detail the impact that volunteers have on our YMCA of Western NC, the individual benefits of volunteering, and explore some YMCA volunteer opportunities.

Volunteers Power The YMCA of Western North Carolina

The selfless work of YMCA volunteers makes carrying out our mission possible because at the mission's heart are the final two words—for all. We're working to build healthy spirits, minds, and bodies for every person in our Western North Carolina community, not just those who can afford a membership or have the means to get to one of our YMCA locations. Thanks to our volunteers we achieve more at lower costs and in more locations than we ever could alone. But first, who are YMCA volunteers?

Who Is A YMCA Volunteer?

What's behind every YMCA volunteer's commitment? Our core values—caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility—guide our volunteers to deliver unparalleled community programs in Western NC.

• Caring: When you volunteer at YMCA's like ours, you embody a caring spirit concerned for the welfare of the entire community. Volunteering is also driven and shaped by honesty.
• Honesty: When we take an honest look at our community, we see the need for volunteer efforts, and know that we must be honest with ourselves, and the people we want to help.
• Respect: Volunteerism should be borne from an altruistic desire to help others. Only when we act out from altruism can we truly respect the people we set out to serve.
• Responsibility: As a YMCA volunteer, you take responsibility for the entire community's quality of life, not just those in your household. You recognize the power you have to improve the lives of others and commit to doing exactly that.

YMCA Volunteering Boosts Impact

One of the clearest examples of the power of YMCA volunteering has been our efforts since Hurricane Helene. The devastation that the hurricane exposed and caused created catastrophic conditions for families and households across the region. At the YMCA of Western North Carolina, we knew we needed to step up. At the same time, we knew we'd only be able to get so far without the help of our volunteers.

Thankfully, our YMCA volunteer community was up to the task and then some. Because of their efforts we were able to distribute 10,000 pounds of food within days. At a moment when entire neighborhoods were without, YMCA volunteers made sure aid got where it needed to. In the immediate aftermath of Helene, 12,000 community members used YMCA services. They found our community centers open and operating because volunteers helped make it possible.

Months later, we know there's still a dire need, so YMCA volunteer groups remain central to our recovery efforts. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, we were able to shelter storm-impacted families at our Corpening Memorial YMCA in Marion. Households without running water received showers and relaxed in a comfortable space made welcoming through the efforts of our volunteers.

Our volunteers also helped us provide critical afterschool childcare for families trying to pick up the pieces after the hurricane. Some of these children were able to return to their homes, communities, families, and friends because the YMCA and YMCA volunteer groups provided these services.

Volunteer at the YMCA to Expand Access

YMCA volunteering multiplies the work each YMCA of Western North Carolina location is capable of achieving. They also expand our programming to reach people who might not otherwise be able to access services. Volunteers, driven by their commitment to our mission, donate their time to ensure families can receive critical services at lower costs than would otherwise be possible.

As a YMCA volunteer, they are dedicated to ensuring the YMCA of Western North Carolina achieves a mission for all, not just people who can afford services. When they provide coaching, mentoring, greeting, event services, and board direction, they help us save costs across the board.

These savings, coupled with donations, allow us to offer financial assistance to households who need our services and need them at a lower cost. We can deliver on our mission to serve all in our community because volunteers donate their time, talents, and energy to make it possible.

Our Volunteers Take Programs To-Go

Transportation can quickly become another obstacle for households, families, and individuals seeking services. Without reliable and routine access to a car, getting to necessary locations can be an all-day affair. In areas without walking distance access to grocery stores, some find their diets suffer. As a volunteer in Western NC, you can join the YMCA in bringing healthy food to people who need it most.

Our Mobile Food Markets, one of our flagship programs at the YMCA of Western North Carolina, run on the power of dedicated volunteers. These mobile food markets travel across Western North Carolina to set up free farmers' markets. Once we are set up, we distribute food to whoever arrives. We don't limit who can take food or how much.

These markets wouldn't be able to travel nearly as far nor distribute nearly as much, without the support and efforts of YMCA volunteering. Volunteers help sort the food before the market, identifying produce that isn't right for distribution so only clean, ready-to-eat food makes it to our community members.

Volunteers also help pack the food up and aid in distribution once we arrive on scene. Our volunteers help greet community members, answer questions, weigh produce, and carry bags to cars. Through volunteer efforts, we distributed 115,858 pounds of food to 28,704 mobile food market guests in 2024. With our volunteers behind us, we aim to serve even more of our community in the year ahead.

Volunteering Transforms Your Life First

As a YMCA volunteer, you'll have the opportunity to improve the lives of fellow community members at every turn. But if you asked any WNC volunteer, they'd all say they were one of the first people impacted by their volunteering. It's long been known that we feel we receive as much as we give from volunteering. But research shows that volunteering has tangible benefits for our lives as volunteers. When we promote YMCA volunteering, we simultaneously build healthy spirits, minds, and bodies.

YMCA Volunteering Improves Career Outcomes

Volunteerism has real impacts on careers at every stage in your career journey. When teens volunteer, they become 50% less likely to drop out of school. This gives young people who volunteer better opportunities down the line because they'll have completed high school and possibly even higher education. Volunteer opportunities also expose adolescents to career paths they might not have otherwise explored or thought were right for them.

But young people aren't the only ones who can use volunteerism as a way to explore a new career. Adults, whether they've already entered the workforce or are getting ready to, can use YMCA volunteer opportunities as a stepping stone in their career. Those just getting started on a career are 27% more likely to find work when they volunteer.

Volunteering also lets people explore a new career path, without sacrificing their current job. Donating a few hours each week or month while you continue working gives you an idea if this change is right for you, without causing hardship in your household. It also puts you in contact with established professionals who can help you plot out the next steps in your career change.

YMCA Volunteer Opportunities Improve Mental Health

Another impact you can start to feel as you increase your volunteerism is improved mental health. Selfless helping others can release a flood of dopamine to your brain. This essential hormone promotes positivity and relaxation while helping to reduce your stress. Dopamine is the same chemical released when we accomplish a goal, have a great workout, or enjoy our favorite meal. When volunteerism increases the levels of dopamine in your brain, it can also help you feel less depressed and anxious. Its powerful benefits only make us want to volunteer more.

When we do decide to volunteer more, it helps us become more connected to our community. It can renew our sense of purpose while also providing an opportunity to make new friends. The people you volunteer alongside likely share similar values that form the bedrock of friendships. The people you help and serve may also share similar interests that can blossom into friendships.

These positive impacts of volunteerism are also gaining more attention as researchers document them. Research showed that adults over 65 who volunteered for at least 100 hours per year were less lonely and 29% less likely to report a lack of contact with friends. Through volunteering, people were able to build support networks that helped them just as much as they were helping others.

Volunteer in Western NC to Benefit Your Physical Health

Volunteering doesn't just boost your mental health, it improves your overall health. When researchers studied adults over 65 who volunteer at least 100 hours per year, they discovered that those adults had a 44% reduced risk of mortality. They also had a 12% higher likelihood of frequent physical activity. More frequent activity meant that these adults were able to walk for longer periods at older ages and experience fewer balance issues.

Older adults can also improve their cognitive functioning through consistent volunteering as well. When volunteers spent 15 hours per week tutoring students for two years, they avoided declines in memory and executive function. Additionally, their brains changed in volume to support better memory and executive function. Volunteering, it turned out, helped them rewire and improve their brains.

Volunteerism has incredible benefits for younger people as well. Volunteering doesn't just improve their mental health, it can also improve cardiovascular health. One study showed that teens who volunteered for 10 weeks had healthier cholesterol and body mass index than those who didn't. These statistics show that consistent volunteering provides a worthwhile reason to get up, get moving, and get helping others.

Volunteer Opportunities in WNC

The YMCA of Western North Carolina is one organization with tons of volunteer opportunities to choose from. These opportunities span interests, skills, and times, meaning there's a way for everyone to get involved and carry our mission forward. Here are just some of the many volunteer opportunities Asheville and surrounding YMCA locations have to offer:

Sports Program Volunteers

At the YMCA of Western North Carolina, we offer youth sports including flag-football, soccer, and basketball. The goal of our seasonal youth sports programs is to provide children with a fun, safe, environment to learn sports alongside lifelong lessons. Central to achieving that goal are our sports program volunteers who dedicate their time and expertise to making every practice and game memorable. Some volunteer roles include:

• Coaches: Coaches create a fun atmosphere while ensuring each child learns the fundamental techniques and skills of the sport, alongside the universal skill of fair play.
• Referees: Referees dedicate their time to make sure games are played safely and fairly. We provide training, so no expertise is required to become a referee.
• Clinics: We also offer sports clinics and half-day skills camps for sports. If you want to share your love of a sport but can't commit to a coaching schedule, consider volunteering at one of our sports clinics.

Food and Nutrition Program Volunteers

As part of our mission to build healthy spirits, minds, and bodies for all in our community, we operate numerous food programs. If you believe that everyone in our community deserves access to healthy produce and dietary knowledge, help us in our efforts as a volunteer. We have opportunities including:

• Mobile Food Markets: Mobile food market volunteers create a welcoming, inclusive, and positive atmosphere. They help us set up our tables and crates of food, so community members can find and take home the items they need. Volunteers also share recipes and knowledge and lend a helping hand in carrying full bags to cars.
• Food Sorters: Before food makes it to the market, our dedicated food sorters volunteer their time assessing each item's quality. They group similar foods together to make it easier for people to find what they need while ensuring everything offered is safe and ready-to-eat
• Box Packing: YMCA volunteers also pack boxes of healthy food as part of our Healthy Food Box program. Each week, these volunteers pack whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables into boxes for community members.
• Box Delivery: Once the Healthy Food Boxes are packed up, more volunteers step up to help deliver these boxes. Donating their time and transportation, these volunteers follow a predetermined route to spread healthy foods further in our community.

We have plenty more volunteer opportunities to choose from in addition to those highlighted here. Volunteers help mentor and tutor students, help greet members at the front desk, and ensure safety throughout our centers.

How to Become a YMCA Volunteer in 3 Easy Steps

With so many YMCA volunteer opportunities to choose from, we're sure there's something you'll want to take part in. To help you on your volunteer journey, we've created three easy steps to get you started on your journey as a YMCA Volunteer.

1. Head to our YMCA Volunteer Page: The YMCA of Western NC volunteer page is your source for all our upcoming volunteer opportunities across our YMCA of Western NC locations. You can search by interest area, location, date, and time to ensure a perfect fit. If you are struggling to use the volunteer opportunities page, you can also reach out to our volunteer coordinator to get connected to volunteer opportunities in WNC.
2. Select A Role Suited to Your Skills and Interests: With so many volunteer opportunities to choose from, it may seem hard to settle on a choice. We recommend that you find the opportunity or opportunities that best align with your skills and interests. Why? Because these will ultimately be the most rewarding for you and the most impactful for our community members.
3. Apply and Attend an Orientation: Once you've selected a volunteer opportunity, use the link to apply for the position. You'll fill out the required fields and submit a photo to register for our volunteer site while applying for the position you've selected. After you apply, we'll reach out with details about a volunteer orientation where you'll learn more about how to volunteer at the YMCA.

Join YMCA Volunteer Opportunities in Asheville and Beyond

We are deeply grateful to every single YMCA volunteer who has stepped in to help us achieve our mission. Thanks to the over 4,000 hours contributed by our volunteers over the past year, we were able to take real steps towards achieving our mission. Those 4,000 hours don't even include the additional hours volunteers poured into the YMCA's Helene Recovery efforts.

Our volunteers embody our mission and core values, both in who they are and what they do. These YMCA volunteers have mentored the next generation, ensured their community has enough to eat, and provided an outstretched hand to pull neighbors from the rubble of Helene. Will you join them in carrying these efforts forward this year and beyond?