February 14, 2017
Produced by Katie Kuhn, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County
If you’re in a relationship, how did you meet your partner? If you’re single and looking for a relationship, where do you usually go to meet people? If volunteering doesn’t spring to mind, maybe it should.
According to The Huffington Post, “Volunteering is the greatest dating platform on the planet.” Where else can you get the double benefit of meeting new and interesting people while giving back to your community? Studies have shown that volunteering can reduce stress and enhance overall satisfaction with life, making it the perfect choice of an activity that can open you up to something new, or strengthen an existing relationship. In sharing the experience of serving a meal, reading to kids, or conducting a craft project at a senior center, you may find that you get more out of the experience than you give.
Lauren and Bill Bradley are newlyweds who have been volunteering together since the first year of their relationship. We talk about what the experience of volunteering taught them about one another, get their advice for single people on whether volunteering could make a good first date, and the eternal question: what makes volunteering so darn sexy?
Looking to meet people or volunteer with your partner? Visit United Way’s Volunteer page to find an opportunity you’ll love.
Read more about the health benefits of volunteering.