That might sound like a bold claim, but research has shown that giving just a couple of hours a week to your community can slow ageing, reduce stress and strengthen social connection.
Not a bad return on investment for something we often think of as "just helping out".
Last week, I came across an article suggesting rural women are "carrying the load" when it comes to volunteering.
There’s truth in that — rural women in our district are absolute powerhouses — but I think the story runs deeper than simply being stretched too thin.
For generations, we’ve wrestled with the time-versus-money equation. Somewhere along the way — especially from the 1960s onward — it feels like we began to place less value on work that isn’t paid.
Much of that shift came as women entered the workforce in greater numbers and rightly expected their skills and time to be properly recognised.
But perhaps, unintentionally, it also led to a mindset where anything unpaid is seen as having less worth.
Anyone who has spent time in our Central Otago communities knows that couldn’t be further from the truth.
As we come to the end of term two, I want to recognise the thousands of volunteer hours that have gone into winter sport across Central Otago.
Behind every Saturday, Sunday and weeknight game is a web of coaches, referees, managers and supporters giving up their time so our people can play.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Across our district, volunteers have been planting natives, dropping off meals, stitching costumes, organising events, attending meetings, selling raffle tickets and making thousands of cheese rolls for fundraisers.
That quiet, steady effort is what keeps our communities humming.
Volunteering isn’t a sacrifice.
It’s an investment — just not the financial kind.
It builds connection, purpose and resilience.
It creates friendships, strengthens neighbourhoods and gives a sense of belonging.
It’s a form of wealth we don’t measure nearly enough.
Of course, I also acknowledge that burnout is real.
We all know people who seem to do everything — working full-time, coaching on the weekends, sitting on committees and still finding time to help at the school sports day.
If that’s you, it’s OK to say no sometimes.
Sharing the load matters.
But there’s a reason those people keep showing up.
They’ve discovered what I think of as the "secret sauce" of volunteering: that sense of contributing to something bigger than yourself.
It’s energising, not draining, when it’s sustainable.
So perhaps we reframe the conversation.
Instead of asking, "who has time to volunteer?" maybe we should be asking, "who might benefit from it?".
If we talked more openly about the wellbeing, connection and even longevity that volunteering can bring, I suspect we’d see more people stepping forward.
Maybe posters looking for additional people should highlight "who wants to look younger and live longer?".*
(*Results not guaranteed, of course, but the stats look pretty good!)
And if you’re looking for where to start, your local library or Volunteer South is a great place to connect.
Or email info@codc.govt.nz
Our amazing communities aren’t built by chance — they’re built by our people.
