i started volunteering to feel less lonely, and here’s what i learned

i decided to start volunteering a while ago. i’ve always wanted to, but i was basically housebound from crippling depression and paralysed from social anxiety.

so i searched for ways to help online. i was (still am) a broke college student and money wasn’t an option, so i ended up working on a charity sale for over a year to raise $5k for underprivileged children in a developing country. i sold baked goods that i made and apparel that i designed! i met my goal and picked up some skills along the way, and i just got an update from the organisation i worked with that had some pictures of the children getting their first laptops.

that’s how i got started! i’ve been regularly volunteering at a soup kitchen and a center for special needs children since. mostly behind the scenes or working with people one-on-one, because im still pretty uncomfortable with socialising.

here’s the thing. it didn’t make me any less lonely. every night, i went to bed feeling the exact same way. empty, tired, alone. but there’s a reason that volunteering is one of the most cliche advices given to people who are isolated and depressed, it’s because it works. it gave me purpose and something to look forward to every week. even though i don’t have anyone in my life, knowing that im making a difference (as cringe as that sounds) really does feel good.

it’s not a cure for loneliness, but it’s something. and for now, thats enough for me.