Volunteers at the Humanitarian Center benefit too

IDAHO FALLS -- STAND UP - I’m Natalia Hepworth in Idaho Falls where hundreds of volunteers spend hours making items for the needy and underserved in east Idaho.

VO: Usually when people refer to the Humanitarian Center, they think of those on the receiving end of volunteer service, but volunteers are benefitting just as well.

SOT: “A lot of these older people had nothing to do… so they come here, and it has been an amazing opportunity for them and the community,” director Mozelle Neville said.

VO: The Humanitarian Center is a non-denominational, non-profit organization. Since beginning in 2010 volunteers have been increasing. A lot of the volunteers are older and have benefitted socially and emotionally from the chance to do service in their community.

SOT: “When you get a little older, you just feel like your life has to be worthwhile. It’s fun to come in here two days a week, and a lot of times it’s more days than that, but we get to serve other people and it brings a lot of satisfaction knowing you're helping people who are in need,” Volunteer Margene Hansen said.

VO: At the Humanitarian Center there are no paid staff and all work done is completely volunteer. In 2015 volunteers made over 23,000 items to be distributed to the needy.

SOT: “In 2015 our volunteers donated 162,000 service hours for the poor and the needy. At the regular rate of exchange for volunteer work at $20.12 an hour for Idaho that works out to be about $3.2 million worth of service just in labor,” McEwen said

VO: Volunteers like Margene Hansen say they enjoy their time working at the Humanitarian Center, and they keep coming back to continue their service.

SOT: “I’ve been here 3 years and we’ve signed up for another year and a half,” Hansen said.

STAND UP: If you’d like to volunteer and be apart of this activity, you can visit the Humanitarian Center on Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., reporting from Idaho Falls, I’m Natalia Hepworth, EastIdahoNews.com