FEATURE: Doctor's Orders - Volunteer!

Sep 2, 2025

by Volunteer Services

FEATURE: Doctor's Orders: Volunteer!

Volunteering is good for your health, and now doctors are prescribing it. Decades of research has shown that adopting healthy habits like volunteering can boost your mood and your mental and physical health. Time in nature reduces stress, exercise eases depression and anxiety while boosting cardiovascular health, social connections help hold people accountable and giving back releases endorphins. Plus, having a sense of purpose can help you live longer. Doctors in over 200 countries have started prescribing a variety of social activities including volunteering due to their many benefits and effects on health. Doctors in the U.S. are also starting to prescribe healthy social activities as well. Read more in this article from NPR's Living Better Series and this one from the BBC.

We have some great opportunities for you coming up this month and we're encouraging you to write your own social prescription to boost your health through volunteering. Join a regular volunteer group to make volunteering a regular part of your week or month, build new connections, make friends, and make a difference - you'll reap the benefits in your mental and physical health.
Check out these ongoing volunteer opportunities and click the links to learn more:

Gardening Groups - We have a variety of ongoing gardening groups that meet regularly weekly.

Trail Teams - We also have a couple of different trail teams that meet regularly to improve our park trails. If you're looking for something a little more strenuous - this might be your opportunity!

Hills & Dales Work Day - Join a regular ongoing group that tackles a little of everything at Hills & Dales MetroPark. You'll do some gardening, invasive species removal, some trail work, and more.

Barn Aides - Or join our team of volunteers at the Carriage Hill Riding Center caring for our many horses, ponies, barn cats and the facilities at the Riding Center. Fall Barn Aide training is starting soon!

Not ready to commit to an ongoing opportunity? Or just looking for more ways to get outside and connect with others while making a difference for yourself and your community? We have some great opportunities coming up to join our community of volunteers in service with The Wagner Subaru Outdoor Experience and Make A Difference Day! These are among our largest events of the year - a lot of hands are needed to join together to pull off the Midwest's Premier Outdoor Adventure Festival and prepare our parks for the winter season. Click the links to learn more and commit to joining us this fall in the parks for us and for YOU.