November 2013 Volunteer of the Month- Our 40 for 40 Partners!

This month, we couldn't choose just one person to recognize so for our November 2013 Volunteer of the Month post- so we would like to congratulate and thank all of our 40 for 40 partners! 

1. Baruch Hillel
2. B'nai B'rith Young Leadership Network
3. B'nai Jeshurun
4. Bronx Science High School Key Club
5. buildOn- Bronx
6. Columbia Hillel
7. Congregation Habonim
8. Congregation Magen David
9. Congregation Ramath Orah
10. Congregation Rodeph Sholom
11. HASC Center
12. Hebrew Union College
13. Investors Bank
14. JBFCS Friends
15. JBFCS Kaplan House
16. JCCA Bukharian Teen Lounge
17. Jewish Home Lifecare
18. Kehilath Jeshurun
19. Masa Alumni
20. Met Council MVP
21. Moishe House (ParkSlope)
22. NYC Office of Emergency Management
23. ORT America
24. Otsar Family Services
25. Park East Day School
26. Ramaz Lower School
27. Ramaz Middle School
28. Ramaz Upper School
29. Rodeph Shalom School
30. Rutgers Women's Business Leadership Initiative Alumni
31. SAR High School
32. SSDS Manhattan
33. Temple Shaaray Tefila
34. The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts
35. The Directors Forum
36. The Heschel School
37. The New Shul
38. Touro- Lander College for Women
39. UJA Federation of NY
40. Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management
41. Uri L'Tzedek
42. Wandering Jews of Astoria 

Thank you to our partners for making our 40th anniversary celebratory initiative "40 for 40" possible! Together, we engaged over 350 volunteers in 15 events throughout the month of Cheshvan (Oct 6-Nov 3) in over 800 volunteer hours!

Volunteer Today, Health Benefits Tomorrow

A new study shows that volunteering within your community can be beneficial for your health!

The study, entitled "Doing Good is Good for You", was sponsored by United Health Group and conducted among those who have volunteered at some point within the past twelve months, shows that becoming involved in your community can have tangible health benefits.

Our of more than 3,000 survey respondents, 76% said volunteering made them feel healthier, and 78% said that volunteering lessens feelings of stress. My personal favorite statistic is that 96% of people who gave back to their communities at some point in the past year felt an enriched sense of purpose in life, and just as many truly felt they were making a difference.

The study goes even further, pointing out that employers who instill a sense of volunteerism in their employees tend to see their efforts returned in the workplace, as volunteering can improve upon time management skills, communication, and interpersonal relationships. Many volunteers use professional skills in their volunteer positions, and about three quarters of respondents said that volunteering improved their competitiveness in the workplace in some way.

Met Council offers many opportunities to reap some of these benefits, so what are you waiting for? Or, share your volunteer success story in the comments!