By Britny Helmrich
I like to volunteer because it makes me feel happy and I feel good about myself. Sometimes people in the world aren’t happy and if I can share my happiness with them it is a joyful experience. I have been volunteering since I was about 7 years old. I started volunteering because my mom suggested that I might enjoy it and, turns out she was right. I do.
I recently volunteered on Global Youth Service Day. Global Youth Service Day is a day for youth to come together and experience volunteering and team building. The Youth Leadership Council asked me to recruit two of my friends to join me. I was able to recruit four of my friends to come to the Washington Park Senior Center. Part of the day was to experience other cultures. They had an art room where there was different tables for different flags, we got to paint on a canvas. My friends and I got to paint the Mexican flag. The flags were for Habitat for Humanity and were going to the different countries. While I am not the best artist in the world, I feel excited and happy that someone in Mexico will receive my flag.
I also volunteer with Lead2Change as a youth leadership council member. These are youth ages 13-18 that focus on philanthropy, career readiness and neighborhood engagement. Going to the Guest House was the first experience working with the council. One of the things I enjoyed was the bonding experience with the group outside of our normal meetings.
Volunteering, especially with young people helps me discover who I am, when I look around and see other children I know I have learned so much from those kids. My favorite time spent volunteering is with the elderly or children. I would recommend that other people, especially young people consider volunteering. If you start volunteering at a young age it makes it a lot easier and fun. Over the years I believe that volunteering has made me a better person.
Learn more about volunteering.