Benefits of Volunteering in Community Gardens By Michael McIntyre, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Mobile County

A group of children recently volunteered to establish a community garden in Mobile County, Alabama. At the end of the project they asked about the benefits of their action? This is a question that prompted me to look further into the benefits of being a volunteer, particularly in gardening.

A volunteer is someone who offers their time and talents to helping others with no expectation of pay or other material benefits. In community gardening, once the land has been acquired, there is a need to find a few good community volunteers to start preparing the soil for planting. Since there are challenges in getting volunteers, it is important for first-time volunteers to have a good initial experience. For example, consider providing water and snacks. Secondly, make the volunteer process more fun than work oriented. Thirdly, inform community members about why the garden is being established. The word will spread and eventually, more people will get involved in the effort.
There are numerous benefits that can be attained from community gardening. Volunteers exercise while gardening, thus promote healthy lifestyles. A study funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health (1991) found that volunteering can improve self-esteem, reduce high blood pressure, combat social isolation, reduce the impact of stress, and change the body's immune system.

The learning opportunities in volunteering are also tremendous because people with diverse skills come together and share their experiences. For instance, someone who is skilled in carpentry may teach another volunteer how to nail the timber together, while a volunteer that is knowledgeable about plants can share his or her expertise with the carpenter.

The National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating found that 76 percent of volunteer respondents reported an improvement in interpersonal skills. An additional 66 percent said they improved their communication skills, and 64 percent said they increased their knowledge about issues relating to health, women, the environment, and politics when volunteering.

Volunteering in gardening definitely helps youth to become involved in community service and to stay away from drugs and other adverse activities. When students are involved in volunteer work, they are less likely to engage in risky behavior such as using drugs or skipping school.

So, whenever you are called upon to serve your community, consider investing your time and energy in creating and maintaining a community garden. Contact Michael McIntyre at 334-259-1265 or mnm0001@aces.edu if you would like to volunteer for a community garden in the Mobile area.

Knoke, D. (1990, June). Networks of political action: Toward theory construction. Social Forces, 68(4), 1041-1063.

Wilson, J., & Musick, M. (1999, Autumn). The effects of volunteering on the volunteer. Law and Contemporary Problems, 62(4), 141-168.

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