Community service. I'm sure you've heard of it and maybe you have got involved with volunteer projects, or maybe you haven't. For those of you that have, I hope you agree with me that it is worth every second spent doing something for the community. And for those of you that have not, I hope you can be inspired to try it out and see for yourself just how rewarding service can be.
When I was younger, I did not help out with many community things. It's not that I didn't want to, or that I didn't like the idea of serving the community, I just didn't put in the effort to go find service to do. That was mistake No. 1 for me. Finding things to do to help your community is not hard. Want to know the easiest thing to do to help a community? Pick up trash. This can be done almost anywhere throughout neighborhood parks, streets, fields, schools, etc. You can do this by yourself or in a group, and all you need are some gloves and trash bags! Picking up trash helps your neighborhood look clean, protects the animals in your neighborhood from eating garbage that can harm them, and it helps the environment as a whole. You can even go a step further and recycle any plastic water bottles or soda cans you find.
I have found that doing community service is best in a group. It keeps things like picking up trash a little more entertaining and it creates an opportunity to bond with people who are just as willing to improve a community as you are. But how do you find people to do service with? First, try asking some friends. Even if you don't think they'll want to, ask anyway! You'd be surprised how many of your friends are willing to give it a try just because you're asking them. Next, try asking family. If you can get family involved, that is great. Especially these days when families often sacrifice time together for other obligations.
Next, try discovering clubs that focus on service. If you're in high school, try seeing if there is a Key Club International at your school or at other schools in your town. If you're in college, look into Circle K International. And if you're and adult not in college, look up Kiwanis International. Key Club International and Circle K International are branches of Kiwanis, which is an international service organization. These clubs make it easy to get involved in service. They set up highway cleanups, beach cleanups (so much fun for those who love the outdoors), volunteer services for community events, donations and much more. Being a part of one of these clubs gives you the opportunity to do service with other club members.
Currently, I'm involved with Circle K International at Saint Martin's University. This group has inspired me to do more service for the communities around me and the members have become my friends. It is a great opportunity and I am so happy I got involved. Being involved with service has shown me the importance of giving back to the area you live in. Even small acts of service can benefit thousands of people and to me, that is what makes doing service worth it. So I encourage you to find a group of friends, family or a club to go do some community service with. Try going to a park you've never been to, or a beach you've always wanted to visit and clean it up! I guarantee you will feel good about it afterward.
