What Does ‘Community Service’ Mean to You?
What do you think of when you hear the words “community service?” Sometimes I feel like the term has been hijacked by our court system and has come to describe a form of punishment. I have an acquaintance who, when asked to help with a volunteer project, responded, “I haven’t done anything wrong. Why do you want to make me do community service?” I’ve heard other people say, “I’m not going to work if I don’t get paid for it!”
These attitudes are really unfortunate because, well, think about it – community service is simply a service that someone performs to benefit his or her community. We can all make a difference in small ways every day, and lots of people are doing just that. I know that everybody’s busy these days, but even if you have only an hour a week to give, you can make a difference to someone. How about shoveling the sidewalk of that elderly neighbor the next time we have snow? Or you could buy some extra canned goods to drop into the Dare to Care donation barrel at the grocery store. Offer to entertain her children so that the young mother next door can run errands without the kids. Clean out a closet and donate your good, but unworn, clothing to a charitable organization that will resell it. There are plenty of ways that you can help to make our community a better place.
If getting involved in serving our community appeals to you, but you’re not sure what you’d like to do or how to get started, why don’t you check out the volunteering opportunities that are on Metro United Way’s website?Whether you’re interested in helping out at a one-time event or you’d like to donate time on a regular basis, there are plenty of nonprofit organizations that can benefit from your skills and experience. And just a reminder – if you’re a high school student with a community service requirement for graduation, don’t wait until the last minute. Be cool and volunteer now – then it won’t feel like a punishment!
This is Karla Close and I work in the Volunteer Development Department at Metro United Way. .
Hey what does community service do