As a volunteer, the greatest gift you can give is your time. Read on to discover where to donate it, how it helps the community and why it’s good for you too

With the arrival of the holy month, it’s again that time of year when we are reminded about the importance of giving back to a society that gives so much to us.

“Travelling the world, you see all kinds of people from all walks of life, and you realise how blessed you are,” begins Mark Azzam, pilot and founder of tabletop gaming shop Back to Games. “It’s very important for individuals who are blessed – like us – to give back to those who are needy, because that balances society.”

Sofia Antonia Gomez-Doyle, a student at NYUAD who volunteered in Swaziland, found her world-view redefined: “Volunteering becomes a way of understanding – a lens through which to understand new places, build relationships, and embrace the values of generosity, commitment and empathy.”

For Laura-Helene Kopinski, founder of mindfulness movement Inner Seed UAE: “It’s soul-filling. It makes you feel good – there’s no expectation on you, you’re just doing this from the heart. If everyone could do it, we could achieve so much together.”

For Mark, ultimately, the question is not ‘why volunteer’, but ‘why not?’: “Try it. You’ll want more of it and you’ll bring more people with you next time. Above all, you’ll never regret it.”

How you can help

Helping hands: Visit: volunteers.ae

Give a smile: Operation Smile. Visit: arabemirates.operationsmile.org

Human help: Emirates Red Crescent. Visit: emiratesrc.ae

Conservation nation: Emirates Wildlife Society-WWF. Visit: howyoucanhelp.uae.panda.org

WORDS Camille Hogg