Military life is a constant stream (or tidal wave) of change. New duty stations, career interruptions, and the challenge of constantly rebuilding your community. For many military spouses, this continual cycle of change can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to maintaining a sense of identity and professional growth.
That’s where volunteering can make a powerful difference. More than just giving your time, volunteering offers military spouses a way to build meaningful connections, develop valuable skills, and create a sense of purpose, no matter where you are stationed. Whether you’re navigating a PCS move or looking to strengthen your resume, volunteering can open so many doors.
1. Fill career gaps
Frequent PCSs are a key part of military life and a key reason why military spouses struggle to build their professional careers. With each move we must begin the job hunt and navigate lengthy application and interview processes. Frequent moves lead to career gaps and difficulty in creating long-term professional networks.
Volunteering can be an effective way to bridge gaps in your career. Taking on volunteer work during periods of unemployment demonstrates initiative, resilience, and a proactive mindset – qualities that employers highly value. Even if you expect your break to be short, the unpredictability of today’s job market makes it wise to have a plan in place. Securing a volunteer role can help you stay engaged, build skills, and maintain momentum if your job search takes longer than anticipated.
2. Build Valuable Skills
If you are looking to build your resume or simply develop your skills, volunteering can provide an amazing opportunity to learn and grow without the long-term commitment.
It can…
- Provide leadership and project management experience,
- Grow your communication and teamwork skills or
- Even give exposure to new industries or roles.
This is particularly valuable if you are looking to switch career paths or unsure of your professional direction. Without the pressure of bringing in a pay check, you may feel more free to try things out you wouldn’t have otherwise. And who knows, you may love it and wish to continue and share the knowledge you’ve built with other volunteers.
4. Finding Purpose Through Service
Its easy to get swallowed up in military life. Everything seems to revolve around your military member’s career. You lack control over where you live and your career goals can feel secondary.
Giving back to your community through volunteering, will rekindle that lost sense of purpose. Doing something with a tangible impact can significantly boost your confidence and mental health while building your own sense of identity and value. Look for opportunities to support causes that matter personally or that will make small but important impacts in your local community. It’s amazing to see what can be done with just a few hours a week.
5. Building Community and Support Networks
Military life can feel lonely, particularly for foreign-born military spouses. Whether it’s your first PCS or 20th, finding your people in a new duty station can be a struggle. But guess what…. Volunteering can help with that too! Through any volunteering role, you will meet other volunteers and immediately begin making connections. If you can find an in-person role, you will quickly begin building a new community and friends around your duty station. So strike up a conversation about where the best coffee is in the area and see where it goes! And even if you opt for a virtual role, many organizations hold regular virtual social gatherings – there is nothing stopping you making a virtual friend! Finding mentorship and peer support through volunteering can be so rewarding. Whether you meet in-person or virtually, having someone to talk to will significantly reduce those creeping feelings of isolation.
Find Volunteering Opportunities That Fit Military Life
- Remote and virtual volunteering options – Volunteer with an organization like FMSN! Nationwide non-profits like FMSN often have a range of remote volunteering roles. FMSN is completely volunteer run, therefore we solely rely on individuals like you, willing to donate their time and skills to make our mission a reality. We have roles open in everything from graphic design, to finance, to fundraising, web design and mental health support. If you have time to give, we would love to find the perfect role for you.
- USO – If you feel driven to support your local military community, the USO is the perfect place to start. Many of their volunteer roles will be in-person and center around events in support of the military base. Reach out to your local USO and see where you could help.
- Thrift Shop – thrift shops can be found pretty much anywhere! Many bases have their own so if you are looking to build connections with other military spouses (or find a great deal) this is a great place to give a few hours a week.
- Find community in your faith – go one step beyond attending your regular services and get involved with your religious community through volunteering. Whether it’s helping to organize events, with the music team or the childcare there are endless opportunities to get involved.
- Spouses Club – every base and many units will have their own a spouses club. These organizations focus on welcoming new military spouses to the duty station and building connections though events and community. Even if you do not volunteer with them, they can be a great community to get involved with when looking to find connections.
- The spouses club and duty station many also run spouse mentorship programs. Spouse mentors are volunteers who serve as a point of contact for new spouses to the base. Their main purpose is to welcome new spouses and help get them up to speed with everything they need to know about their new duty station. If you have been somewhere for a while or are a seasoned military spouse, this could be a wonderful opportunity for you to share your knowledge with new spouses. It would be a great way to demonstrate leadership and mentorship skills on a CV.
- Find local charities – if you’d rather look outside the military community, research local charities in your area. You could help at a soup kitchen, gather supplies for a local nicu unit, run a reading group at your local library. The opportunities are endless – you just need to do a little research to get started.
A few final thoughts:
- When looking for a role, think first about why you want to volunteer. Is it to build your CV or build your community?
- Really think about the time commitment you would like to make. Don’t overestimate yourself – it’s much easier to start smaller and increase it as you get into a routine or comfortable with your role.
- And most importantly, enjoy it.
Volunteering isn’t just a way to give back, it’s a powerful tool for military spouses to grow, connect, and thrive through every stage of military life. No matter where you’re stationed, the impact you make and the benefits you gain, can follow you wherever you go.