Volunteering can improve your health

The woman walked into the animal shelter one Saturday, and she got hooked.

She’s returned for about five hours every day since then. She walks dogs there, leading them around the yard in front of the Palm Valley Animal Center in Edinburg. By her own admission, 48-year-old Darcy Leal is addicted. And it’s a good addiction to have.

Volunteering at the shelter has improved her mood. Even friends have noticed the change. She says she feels peaceful, fulfilled and rewarded – feelings experts say are common for people who volunteer. Volunteering helps the volunteer.

Lee Igel, an assistant professor in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at New York University, has studied psychology for nearly a decade.

“There is no question that volunteering allows a person to apply their strengths, learn something new and, more than anything, it allows them to contribute,” he says.

A person shows a physiological improvement, too. Igel says the body is tied to psychology, so mental improvements boost physical health as well. Volunteering also introduces the individual to a new world: he meets people, learns new things and expands his comfort zone.

Shannon Ponce, the director of community outreach at the Palm Valley Animal Center, says her organization depends on volunteers. The dogs need to be walked daily, and the staff is too small to do so. Even a brief 15-minute trip helps the canines feel at ease in their surroundings. Being calm, Ponce says, allows the dog’s true personality to show, and it gives them better odds for adoption.

The animal center keeps an active database of 300 volunteers, many of whom Ponce sees often. She says they help the dogs, and they help themselves, too.

“They come with a smile, and usually they leave really tired, and they’re still smiling,” Ponce says.

That describes Leal perfectly.

She grew up with dogs, and the volunteering reminds her of her childhood. It also helps her find peace, especially when she’s working. She has a part-time job as a make-up artist for Dillard’s, but is on a break from work right now.

• PULL OUT BOX: Do you want to volunteer? Contact the Palm Valley Animal Center, located at 2501 W. Trenton Road, Edinburg. You can reach them at (956) 686-1141.

She plans to continue volunteering when she returns to that job in the fall.

On a recent Friday afternoon, Leal arrives at the shelter before 11 a.m. She starts her day by walking Carlota, a small mixed-breed dog with a patch of missing hair. Carlota looks a bit like Eddie, the dog from the show Frasier.

When Carlota first comes outside, she drags Leal about. After about 15 minutes in the heat, the dog seems content to simply be with Leal. Leal says she becomes familiar with dogs such as Carlota, and she recommends adoption to friends who share similar character traits with the animals. Even if she can’t fix the dogs up with a family, she feels good spending time with them.

“You feel different,” she says. “You feel like a part of the world.”

Carlota jumps up on her leg as she speaks. Leal reaches down and pats her on the head. It’s hard to tell who’s happier.

Zack Quaintance covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4447.