Why do you do community service?
I do it because I like to serve. Serving makes people happy, and making people happy makes me happy.
Are the hours important to you?
The hours have no significance to me – I hate tallying them. I do it for my own pleasure, not to be recognized.
Have you been offered any scholarships for your community service?
I haven’t decided if I want to apply for them. I don’t feel right taking money for giving back. Someone else could use that money more than I could.
What kind of volunteer work do you do?
I do mission trips through my church – most recently to Dallas this summer. I also work with the younger kids’ youth group and the special needs program, called Matthew’s Ministry, at my church. I also Teen Staff every summer through Youthfront Camp, I’m a mentor here at Southwest, I paint shoes to donate, I work at Harvester’s, and I plan to set up a book drive at Southwest.
What are some of you favorite service projects you’ve done?
My favorite project I have done was the mission trip I took to Dallas this summer with my church. I worked with different people from different backgrounds, and I was able to serve them and make them happy. Half of the days, we spent time with little kids who were happy, even with the little that they had.
My favorite long-term project has been Teen Staffing. It is a program at Youthfront Camp where teens come down and volunteer for a week at a time to work various jobs while serving our God. I love the people I work with so much, and we’ve built a great community.
Why do you serve? Is there a driving force behind your service?
I serve because it makes me happy. The driving force behind my service is my faith- what I believe in. I have been blessed with a lot, and I think the best way to show love to others is to serve them and show love to them. Simple acts of service can make anyone happy. Community service is totally worthwhile. Everyone should give it a chance, because you don’t know what people are really like until you serve them and serve with them.
