Volunteering can have significant impacts on the people and communities being served.
But it also holds health benefits for the volunteer. Volunteering decreases the risk of depression, according to the Mayo Clinic. It's also linked to reduced stress levels and living a longer life.
RELATED STORY: Where to volunteer in Philadelphia this month
With those benefits in mind, consider volunteering during the Love Your Park Fall Service Day, a citywide effort to clean and green the Philadelphia's myriad parks.
Nearly 100 parks are hosting clean-ups on Saturday, Nov. 9. Kemble Park in Lower West Oak Lane is the signature site. Volunteers are needed to collect leaves for compost, fix up the garden beds and pick up litter. There also will be music, food and activities for children.
Among the opportunities elsewhere in the city: Planting bulbs in Rittenhouse Square, raking leaves at Ridgway Park in South Philly, removing trash and debris at Cobbs Creek Park in West Philly, and planting trees along the paths of Tacony Creek Park in Northeast Philly.
The service day is hosted by the Fairmount Park Conservancy, Park Friends Network and the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.
To register and view a complete list of volunteering opportunities, click here.