Linda Chang- April is the time of the year where flowers bloom and the rain makes the grass green. People may not know that April is also the time of giving back and thanking those who do. April is National Volunteer Appreciation month, meaning the whole month is dedicated to the people who find time in their lives to help others in need.

Junior Seth Vang is one of the people this month recognizes. He and his church youth group make it a mission to volunteer at local food banks every month.

“I attend a church in Carmel and we often plan trips in Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis,” Vang said. “We greet people, help them, and get to know them while carry their grocery bags for them. It is a really great experience.”

Gleaners Food Bank is a non-profit organization that hopes to lead the fight against hunger in central and southeast Indiana by collecting, storing and distributing food to those in need. People can help out by volunteering as a worker or donating money to the organization to help collect more food.

Gleaners is only one out of over 200 organizations that support the need of giving back to the community. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), there are more than 1.5 million non-profit organizations across the United States.

According to Livestrong magazine, everyone should find time in their schedule to do a bit of volunteer work because it has many positive benefits. Not only does it look good on a college application but studies have shown that it also has many health perks too. According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, volunteering improves psychological and physical health. Volunteers gain a sense of personal accomplishment while building social networks that often help relieve stress.

“Volunteering is not something a person should do simply because it is a nice thing to do. They should do it because they want to make a difference in someone else’s life and ultimately put a smile on their face,” Vang said.

If you would like to donate or volunteer at Gleaners Food Bank, go to https://www.gleaners.org/fight-to-end-hunger/.

To learn more information about National Volunteer Appreciation month or how to start volunteering your local community, go to the NCCS website at http://nccs.urban.org/.