THE ESSENCE, BENEFITS, AND MOTIVES OF VOLUNTEERING: A THEORETICAL REVIEW

Abstract

For several decades, international and national documents and researchers' reports have highlighted the importance of volunteering. Researchers positively assess the government's focus on promoting and facilitating volunteering but also notice the difficulties in transforming documents into practice. Therefore, the article aims to theoretically analyze the essence, benefits, and motives of volunteering. The analysis of documents and scientific literature was used to achieve the goals. The analysis indicates that in describing volunteering, the authors most often use the terms activity, society, time, volunteer, social, free, person, society, benefits, volunteer, friend, work, age, etc. The analysis of the literature revealed the following characteristics of volunteering: it is unpaid and non-obligatory; it can be organized and informal; it is a resource-needed activity; it is beneficial, and it is dependent on the effectiveness of motivators. Volunteering combines personal benefits and societal impact, fostering collaboration, social inclusion, and resilience while enhancing individual well-being. For young people, it provides opportunities for skill development, career exploration, and empowerment through active contributions to meaningful causes. For older adults, it offers purpose, connection, and a chance to share their experience, promoting physical and mental health while combating loneliness.