I really believe that you get back everything you give. In the case of volunteering, you get everything back one million times.
I know that a lot of you are probably sick of having the benefits of volunteering crammed down your throat. Some of you probably don't believe it or really don't care. But you really won't know the truth about volunteering until you try it, and I suggest that you do.
I spent my spring break volunteering in Virginia with the Alternative Spring Break Program.
For those of you who don't know, this program is sponsored by the United Way of Isabella County and the Volunteer and Service Learning Center located in the Bovee University Center. This year over 100 students spent their spring break volunteering all over the East Coast with issues such as homelessness, AIDS, world hunger, and youth issues.
I spent the week with nine other girls working on a state park to help the environment.
This is my second year with the program and I have found wonderful results both times.
One benefit of volunteering that I think is most often mentioned is that it helps people feel good about themselves. What has amazed me both years about this program is the people that we work with. I can never get over the amount of gratitude these people had for us. They went out of their way to thank us and to make us feel welcome. To me, knowing that we had made a difference to at least a few people made everything worth it. They were the ones that made us feel special.
I believe that volunteering can also give people skills that they don't already have, or improve the ones they do. With this service project in particular, my teamwork and people skills have been greatly affected.
Living with nine other people for a week often calls for compromise. We had to discuss things such as who gets to use the shower first, who gets to cook and clean up, who gets to work where, and even the kind of food we ate. Working so closely with others often forces one to learn compromise and social skills.
Something I really enjoyed about the program is travel. No, we didn't go to Mexico, but visiting any new place can be exciting. Although, Ohio or Detroit may not be your ideal place to vacation, it provides a learning experience for less money than most spend on their spring break.
The place that we stayed this year was in a highly historical area. Just being there helped us to learn a lot about history we didn't already know. Every site provides an opportunity to learn new information.
The idea of helping someone or something less fortunate should be enough to inspire volunteering. No matter how bad you have it, someone always has it worse. With privilege comes duty. Those of us who have been born into a comfortable life are also born with the responsibility to help the less fortunate.
Making new friendships has always made it worth while. People that you work so closely with are hard to forget. Thank you to, Wendy, Candace, Laura, Laura, Heather, DeeDee, Michelle, Erika, and Kiesha.
I really don't mean to be preaching to you, and I know that it is hard to get motivated to do something that you have never done before. But I suggest that you try volunteering at least once. I know everything that you give will come back to you.