Helping People, Changing Lives: The Benefits of Volunteering While Grieving

The Impact of Volunteering: Helping Others Through Serving

Grief and bereavement can profoundly affect emotional, physical, and social well-being. While grief support often focuses on receiving care, research and lived experience show that helping others through service also plays a meaningful role in healing. Volunteering does not remove grief, but can foster purpose, connection, and moments of relief during an otherwise overwhelming time.

Benefits from Volunteering

Evidence supports that volunteering and helping others improves your mood, reduces stress and provides for stronger social connections—all factors which are especially important for individuals who are navigating loss or prolonged grief (American Psychological Association, The Mental Health Benefits of Volunteering). Serving others also helps to counter isolation and loneliness, which are common during bereavement, by creating opportunities to engage with others in a safe and supportive non-judgmental way.

Another study also concluded volunteering helps manage stress. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a loved one understands managing an estate or going through a loved one’s belongings can be stressful. Volunteering can help increase feelings of calm and peace, as well as boosting energy, and lowering stress. The health impacts of stress are well-documented — physically, mentally, emotionally and behaviorally, too much stress takes a toll. But volunteering helps to manage stress—the majority of people who have volunteered in the past 12 months say that volunteering has actually lowered their stress levels. (The United Way 2013 Health and Volunteering Study). 

Serving Others Can Also Help Honor Your Grief Journey

In seasons of grief, many find comfort in giving to others through volunteering. Volunteerism can be immensely helpful to grieving people, giving purpose and vision, while helping them connect with others who are also experiencing grief.

For many, volunteering offers structure and meaning without the pressure to “move on.” Whether through support groups, community outreach, or behind-the-scenes roles, serving allows individuals to contribute at their own pace, honoring their own grief journey instead of adhering to external expectations or “rules” about how you should feel or act while grieving. Serving alongside others can also help normalize grief, and reinforces that no one has to walk through loss alone.

Our Volunteers Are Essential

Our volunteers are never expected to be counselors; instead, they offer presence, compassion, and shared humanity—helping bridge individuals to connection, community, and professional counseling resources when needed. Volunteering is a beautiful way to meet and connect with other people who share similar interests. Where you can meet others who have experienced similar losses as you. Spending time with other people who have gone through something similar can help combat feelings of loneliness and hopelessness.

The Ripple Effect of Volunteering

We are deeply grateful for our current and past volunteers who have given their time, hearts, and care at Bri’s Lodge. Their service has made a lasting difference in the lives of grieving individuals and families, and their impact continues to ripple throughout our community.

If you are interested in volunteering or would like to learn more about grief support opportunities, please contact Bri’s Lodge at (320) 217-2029 or complete the Contact Us section on our website.

Your willingness to serve can make a meaningful difference for someone navigating loss, as well as help you in your own grief journey. Please consider joining us!