Volunteering Outside During Love the Boot Week Can Help Your Health

BATON ROUGE –  Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser encourage Louisianans in all 64 parishes to get outside and volunteer for the 4th Annual Love the Boot Week, April 5-13, 2025.

"You can`t beat the springtime weather in our Sportsman's Paradise, so let's all get out there and clean up Louisiana during Love the Boot Week," said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. "Picking up litter and planting trees is not only good exercise for your health, but it also a healthy activity for your community."

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Louisiana Blue) is a sponsor of Love the Boot Week. Medical Director and Vice President of Medical Management Dr. Dee Barfield encourages Louisianans to look for Love the Boot Week events near them and sign up to experience the health benefits of volunteering.

"Volunteer service can help your health and help your community, making it a win-win," said Dr. Dee Barfield. "Many studies show when you volunteer and take the time to help others, it improves your mental health and lowers your feelings of stress and anxiety. These activities release the same kind of feel-good endorphins you get from exercising. And, coming together for events like Love the Boot Week, where we're working alongside our friends and neighbors with the shared goal of making our community healthier, cleaner, and greener gives us a sense of purpose."

The health benefits of volunteering include:

- Volunteering gets your mind and body moving. Regular physical activity has cardiovascular benefits and can reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

- Volunteering can lead to less screen time. It provides a break from technology and a chance to connect with the outdoors and with others in your community.

- According to research, older adults who are more stimulated through volunteering may benefit both cognitively and physically.

- Research also finds volunteering can improve life satisfaction, social interaction, self-esteem, mental health, and self-rated health. And being outdoors through volunteer events like Love the Boot Week can improve feelings of anxiety and depression.

- Getting outdoors for volunteer events like Love the Boot Week can also help increase vitamin D intake, supporting bone health, blood cells, and your immune system.

Susan Russell, KLB Executive Director said, "When I roll up my sleeves for my community and pick up litter, I feel accomplished and fulfilled. There is nothing better than getting outside and doing something I know is benefiting Louisiana."

Last year during Love the Boot Week, 19,441 individuals volunteered a total of 100,712 hours at 760 events in all 64 parishes, leading to the removal of 347 tons of litter. In addition to litter removal, volunteers focused on community beautification, planting 921 trees and 4,408 plants, and refurbishing 366 gardens.

KLB and Louisiana Blue invite everyone to participate in Love the Boot Week. Volunteer for or register an event at LoveTheBoot.org.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, or Louisiana Blue, is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a tax-paying, not-for-profit health insurer with offices in every major region to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past six years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light Foundation as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at lablue.com or talk to us on social media @MyLouisianaBlue.