Motivations for engaging in volunteer work and the benefits derived from this from the volunteers' point of view

This study sought to identify volunteering both in concept and practice, and define its importance, with the aim of discussing the various benefits “physical, psychological and societal” for volunteering, through a field study with different samples of practitioners in volunteer work. This study used the social survey method with a sample volume of (615) participants through random irregular selection of samples, also utilizing questionnaire to collect data related to answering the study questions. The study results concluded that the most important physical benefits of volunteering from the volunteer’s point of view is that volunteering is not associated with a specific profession, specialization or age groups but rather on the diversity of previous skills or past experiences of individuals participating in it. And volunteering is considered a mean to maintain the volunteer’s physical health, helping to maintain the volunteer’s activity, mental and physical efforts; it also helps increase health awareness and developing the physical capabilities as well as increasing physical and motor activity. The results also show that the most important psychological benefits are that volunteerism contributes to self-development, self-confidence, and the moral benefits associated with increased confidence, and also contribute to the acquisition of high values and ethics that spread love, mercy and compassion and also relate to self-assurance. The results also indicate that the most important social benefits of volunteering are: Volunteer engagement contributes to the creation of multiple friendships with others, developing the skill of communication and positive interaction with others, the ability to work within a team, and learning the skill of organizing work and role distribution.