Give Back: A Chick’s Guide to Community Service
College is the time in your life when you’re allowed to be selfish in a sense. It’s your time to figure out who you are, what you want, and to start paving the way to make your future goals a reality. Because of that mentality, it’s easy to become wrapped up in your own life and forget this one simple thing; helping others is just as important as helping yourself. The economy is still struggling, wars are still being fought, and children are still going to bed hungry. Although you might not face it everyday in your comfortable college life, there is no shortage of people all around you who could use a helping hand. But, the beauty of being at college is that there is also no shortage of wonderful community service programs to get involved in, and there are always organizations looking for new members to help make a change in the community. “The federal Corporation for National and Community Service found that college student volunteering increased by 20 percent between 2002 and 2005, more than doubling the growth in the adult volunteering rate. It found that 3.3 million college students volunteered in 2005 - nearly 600,000 more students than three years ago — building strong momentum toward a national goal of five million college student volunteers by 2010,” says an article on NationalService.gov. You can help make this goal a reality by becoming a part of a community service club on your campus, or by putting in a little research and donating some of your time to a national organization. Check out your school’s website to find specific clubs looking for volunteers, and to get a sense of what types of organizations you’d be excited to become a part of. There are an abundance of community service opportunities on college campuses, so beginning the process can seem a bit overwhelming at first. If you’re not sure where to start here are a few national organizations that might spark your interest and that might have a chapter at your college. As a strong and independent chick yourself, why not utilize your own amazing qualities to help other chicks. Strong Women Strong Girls aims to make a difference “By building communities of women committed to supporting positive social change, Strong Women, Strong Girls works to create cycles of mutual empowerment for women and girls,” according to the organization’s website. A growing trend on many college campuses that has been gaining a lot of attention and popularity are alternative spring breaks. You can use the time you have off from school during spring break to go to some amazing places and do some great things. Many Alternate Spring Break programs are associated with Habitat For Humanity. By helping give someone a place to call home, you are giving him or her one of the greatest gifts possible. Maybe you or someone you know has been personally affected by cancer and you’d like to do your part to raise awareness. Susan G. Komen For The Cure sponsors nationwide walks for breast cancer which anybody can get involved in. By getting involved in one of these walks you can show your support and love for fellow women who have been afflicted by the tragic disease. Other organizations such as Up ‘Til Dawn and Colleges Against Cancer are nationwide initiatives to raise awareness, money, and support for brave people battling cancer and their families. If you’re not looking for a big commitment, there are opportunities all over to volunteer one day at a time. It’s easy to search for community service in towns and cities near you. You can even filter the searches by typing in what kind of specific work you’d be interested in. Website like IdeaList.org and Volunteer Match can help you find the right kind of community service for you. Websites like those give you the opportunity to try all kinds of volunteer work and figure out what suits you. Volunteering is undoubtedly about helping others, but you might be surprised by how much you’ll get out it yourself. “People who become volunteers usually lead richer, happier, and more satisfying lives than those who don’t volunteer,” says and article on PBS.com. By helping someone who needs it, you can provide yourself and others with hope and happiness, and really what’s better than that? Sarah Friedman is a sophomore at Northeastern University studying journalism. Every volunteer experience she’s ever has been incredibly rewarding.
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