Traditional volunteering work is when people provide labour or service for free. It can include anything from providing disaster relief to feeding the poor. This is also done for special organizations and groups such as charities. Volunteering doesn’t necessarily mean employment. Though payment is sometimes provided, a volunteer isn’t signed on as an employee with a contract. One of the earliest known events associated with voluntary work was the Great Awakening in America in the early 18th century. More awareness of the unfortunate was being spread at the time, such major events were occurring such as the founding of the American Red Cross by Clara Barton in 1881.

There are many types of voluntary work. One common one is service-learning programs, which are when students are given the opportunity to help their community. This is meant to teach them responsibility for the future, and they earn educational credit while they do it. Another type is virtual volunteering or cyber service, which involves people providing free labour through remote work. The main difference here is that it is entirely online and not with the group enlisting the help. Micro-volunteering is similar to this. But it is different in that a virtual volunteer may go through training, whereas a micro-volunteer may simply begin the task at hand.

There are also types of for-profit volunteering. One is skills-based volunteering, which is a little different in that it can be paid work. It is an event in which individuals with specific skills are called upon to do difficult tasks. While traditional volunteering can also involve pay on some occasions, skills-based volunteering can involve substantially higher pay. Military volunteering involves an individual joining the military to provide free services. Unlike traditional volunteering, the individual is often given pay. Volunteering is also said to have more benefits than just helping one’s community. For one thing, it can provide an escape for an individual. It is said to help with mental health issues and can provide a new sense of meaning for a person. It can make them proud knowing they’ve contributed to society in some way.