Clay Aiken – Making A Difference

Clay Aiken is a man who volunteers his time, money and expertise when it comes to his favorite charities. He is also not afraid to suggest that his fans do the same thing. Do you remember the blog when he suggested that it would be wonderful if his fans spent more of the their time participating in work with charities?

Besides making a difference, volunteering should be an important part of your life.

Two recent major Health studies suggested that serving your community through volunteerism is likely to improve your life expectancy. Volunteering provides physical and social activity and a sense of purpose. Volunteers and non-volunteers were studied for frequency and severity of health problems, level of independence, cognitive ability and depression.

According to the National Corporation for National and Community Service Volunteers, getting involved is a healthy move that benefits everyone. Better health and lower rates of depression in later life were noted in long-time volunteers vs. non-volunteers.

 

“As the Baby Boomer generation moves into their next phase of life, we hope they will seek meaning by engaging with the community and giving time to make a difference,”

says Jay Bloom, of the AARP Volunteer Task Force. Not only does a high rate of civic engagement help a person health wise, it strengthens the community. Boomers, those born between 1946-1969 generally have a higher rate of volunteerism than other age groups, because of their financial stability.

Research suggests that volunteering is particularly beneficial to the health of older adults and those serving 100 hours annually. According to the report:

  • A study of adults age 65 and older found that the positive effect of volunteering on physical and mental health is due to the personal sense of accomplishment an individual gains from his or her volunteer activities.
  • Another study found that volunteering led to lower rates of depression in individuals 65 and older.
  • A Duke study found that individuals who volunteered after experiencing heart attacks reported reductions in despair and depression – two factors that that have been linked to mortality in post-coronary artery disease patients.
  • An analysis of data found that individuals over 70 who volunteered approximately 100 hours a year had less of a decline in self-reported health and functioning levels, experienced lower levels of depression, and had more longevity.

Two studies found that the volunteering threshold is about 100 hours per year, or about two hours a week. Individuals who reached the threshold enjoyed significant health benefits, although there were not additional benefits beyond the 100-hour mark.

Long life, better health, making a difference and commitment are just the beginning. Seeing and reuniting with long-lost friends at community events was one additional benefit noted by Volunteers across these studies. The new motto seems to be “VOLUNTEER-everybody’s doing it!”

One of Clay Aiken’s favorite charities is UNICEF. This worldwide organization is always looking for effective end efficient volunteers. UNICEF has four different categories of volunteer interests.

1. Advocate: They have information to make it easy for you to write your members of Congress and voice your support for UNICEF’s extraordinary work.

2. Educate: UNICEF needs people to educate the community about the obstacles that children face every day in hopes of gathering support for the organization.

3. Fundraising: UNICEF has helpful tools to guide the volunteers in creating their own personal webpage and raise funds online.

4. Campus Initiative: This UNICEF idea is a way for college students to actively support UNICEF.

The following information about volunteering is on the UNICEF website:

UNICEF’s supporters include ordinary individuals, eminent personalities and children and young people themselves.

They range from volunteers who staff UNICEF stores, to interns who work in our offices; young children who go door-to-door to raise funds by ‘Trick or Treating for UNICEF,’ to beneficiaries of our efforts who are strongly committed to our work.

These individuals make an invaluable contribution to enabling and amplifying our efforts to ensure health, education, equality and protection for every child.

For more information on volunteering for UNICEF, visit their volunteer website, VOLUNTEER.

However you choose to volunteer, remember that when you volunteer your time and talents, you can help improve other people’s lives. At the same time you may also improve you own life.

V O L U N T E E R !

Clay Aiken News Network is an unofficial fansite. We are not affiliated in any way with Clay Aiken or his management. This website was made by fans for fans and makes no impression or impersonation of the official site, which can be found under the domain clayaiken.com.

5 thoughts on “Clay Aiken – Making A Difference

  1. Thanks for a great blog. It is important that we do what we can. Clay has always been a great example of giving to others..

  2. This is a wonderful article today. Volunteering is an important way to make one feel that they are contributing to society. Makes you feel good, and you're helping others. It's a win, win. From the very beginning of being introduced to Clay on AI2, we found out how he has always done community work and got himself involved. Besides his voice, it was one of the things that I found so endearing about Clay. He just didn't talk about it, he has always done it.

  3. thanks so much today about the blog it is verry important to do what we can and clay aiken has indeed been a great example to others volunterring is important taking the time to give your self to others and helping others it is a win win i have been a volunteer at a nursing home for the elderly ilove what i do its verry rewarding make a differeence in someone lives go and volunteer at a nursing home

  4. people in the nursing homes can always use soap, lotion,deoderant, Clays cds, candy,or books. and you dont have to spend a lot. give what you can. NOBODY CAN HELP EVERYONE BUT EVERYONE CAN HELP SOMEONE. I love Clay so much for who he has always been/

  5. This is a great post!! I love the information.

    Clay has done so much for others. He is amazing. If I could do only a bit of what he does to help others, I would feel good.

    Thank you!!

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