It’s no question that spending some unselfish time bettering the community is a noble thing to do. What you may not realize is that in the process of giving back you’re also helping someone extremely valuable in your own life: you.

Arizonans are certainly passionate about giving: whether it’s in time, talents, services or their hard-earned dough, residents of our sunshine-filled state make sure our communities are the best they can possibly be. The Corporation for National and Community Service reports that in 2007, Arizona’s 1.1 million volunteers spent 182.2 hours dedicating their time to various organizations.

“In Arizona, as givers, we do pretty well,” says Robert Ashcraft, director of the ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation. “We’re a generous place.”

Ashcraft, who was a part of the research team that compiled the center’s 2008 Arizona Giving and Volunteering study, found that nearly 6 out of 10 Arizonans made a financial contribution to a charitable organization over the past year, giving approximately 3 percent of their annual household income.

It’s a given that this altruistic attitude is valuable to those receiving the help, but it’s proven that while making sure others are taken care of, your own precious health and well-being benefits as well.