Benefits of Volunteering in the Community

May 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

 

Volunteers fit new windows at The Sumac Centre... 

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There are many benefits to volunteering and community service. Volunteering in the community provides a multi-facet of benefits any of which is reason enough to take the big step. Find fulfillment in yourself by using volunteering to advance your career, find personal fulfillment and help the lives of others.

1.) Advancing your career- Volunteering to advance your career begins with high school. It is a requirement in many high schools to perform a set number of volunteering hours in order to graduate. Even if it isn’t required, you should be volunteering if you have plans to attend college. Admissions offices love to see a solid history of volunteer work on your resume.

2.) Advancing yourself personally- There is a great joy that comes with volunteering and helping others. While we customarily trades our services for money, it is great for the soul to give of yourself with no intentions other than helping others.

3.) Helping the less fortunate- There are plenty of people in your community who are less fortunate than yourself. By virtue of the fact that you are reading an article on the internet dictates you are better off than someone living on the street. You will receive general appreciation from people who needed your help and will remember your contribution for years to come.

Volunteering has a number of benefits but none of them make a difference if you don’t go out and start. Few people ever regret volunteering and it’s usually something a person will do time and time again once they start.

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Getting Involved In Community Service

April 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
picture of the lambda divas doing community se...

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It doesn’t take much effort to get involved in community service and it can be one of the most worthwhile things you can do in your life. The first thing to do is pick something that you care about, or want to see improve, and volunteer to do community service. Think about all the different things you would love to help out with.

Talk to someone in the area in which you want to get involved in. There are many different areas such as volunteering at a hospital, at your church, at a school, or at an animal shelter. These are just a few of the places that love to take volunteers. Community service doesn’t have to be hard work. Sometimes, such as in a hospital, people just need someone to talk to or read to them. Not only are you helping them, but you are also becoming a better person. Helping with small children and other people who cannot help themselves can be one of the most fulfilling experiences of your life.

Remember to have fun and have a positive attitude while serving your community. Also try to get involved in places that often do community service events, such as a zoo, a museum, or a women’s league. Getting involved is also a great way to meet new people who share the same interests as you.

Try to get your friends, family, and coworkers to help you out as well. The more people you can get to help, the more rewarding your experience will be. Getting involved in community service is hard work, but the rewards at the end are well worth the effort.

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Avoiding Jail With Community Service

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

For misdemeanor offenses, those who commit crimes are sometimes sentenced to community service instead of going to jail. Jails are overcrowded as it is and most agree there is no sense in filling the walls with those who commit minor offenses. Still, people who are found guilty of crimes must be punished. Often time these punishments will include some combination of probation, fines, or community service. A judge must examine the case and decide how likely the offender is to be habitual, and hat the best punishment is to suit the crime. Some examples of the punishments include:

1.) Hours of unpaid work- The amount of community service a person is sentenced to has a lot to do with how much trouble they have been in in the past. For example, a judge is likely to be far more lenient on a first time offender then someone they have repeatedly told to clean up their act.

2.) Training- If a judge sees an opportunity for an offender to obtain job skills in addition to helping the community, that is most likely the path his sentencing will take. On the site job training could be as simple as learning to fix cars and at the same time, repairing cars of people in the community who can really use the help.

3.) Cleaning up: Whether it is the city park or the neighboring area of the local high school, it is likely there is litter to be picked up. A popular form of community service by criminals is to help remove trash from the area in order to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood.

Obey the judges sentence and be sure to learn from the experience.

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Community Service as Alternative Sentencing

February 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Community service can be a show of good faith towards your community. It can help enrich your soul and allow you to make a difference in your free time. Not all community service kinds from the kindness of someones heart however. Indeed, many judges will order people to do community service as an alternative to jail or other punishments. Here are a few common forms of community service done by those who didn’t exactly volunteer their services. However, many without a job or means of earning money will view it as a better alternative to fines and jail.

1.) A Direct Reflection of an Infraction: Many times the community service assigned will reflect the crime committed by the offender. For example, a drunk driver given the choice to educate others on the dangers of drunk driving might be able to avoid jail time but talking to youn people at a school or community center. The same could be true for someone who hits someone in a crosswalk while texting their phone. If that person were to go to a school to tell the story of what could happen as a result of distracted driving, the may be able to get a reduced sentence.

2.) You Will Most Likely be Observed by the Police- A deterrent to this type of community service could be that you would be working directly under the police. For many people who have committed a crime, this is certainly not welcome news. Most of this type of community service is done on the weekend for a county agency and usually under police supervision. It should go without saying that it’s best to just do your work with your mouth closed and not risk further punishment by not working because a cop is around.

Being assigned community service leaves you with but one choice. Do your work and try and stay out of trouble so you don’t have to come back.

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Teens Taking The Volunteer Path

December 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Volunteer opportunities are literally endless for teenagers interested in helping their community at large and the world. Fostering a strong sense of community is important in for our teenagers and one of the best ways to teach teens the importance of their community is through the use of volunteers. Scouting groups and youth groups have long used community service projects as one of their most important lessons. Today’s youth can use their time and talents to help their communities in a variety of ways.

Animal shelters have long been a popular volunteer projects for teenagers. Local animal shelters are always looking for volunteers to feed animals, clean cages, play with cats and walk dogs. Many shelters are also looking for help with fund raisers and food donations. Your local humane society is a great place to start looking for a shelter that needs help.

Students with a flair for drama and a soft spot for children can volunteer their time by entertaining children at a local hospital. This can mean simple puppet shows to more complex productions – the point is simply to bring a smile to the face of a sick child and to help them forget. Be sure to check with the hospital administration regarding age and other requirements.

While selling lemonade may be a bit passé, the idea works. Teens can have great success selling lemonade (or cookies) for a cause. This community service project will teach the volunteers a lot about planning and running a business as well. Try teaming up with a local paper for advertising and be prepared squeeze a lot of lemons!

Throughout a community these opportunities and others exist. They are a great chance for teenagers to learn the importance of volunteering and to develop a sense of pride that can only be felt after helping someone else

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Engaging Teens in Community Service Programs

December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Engaging Teens in Community Service Programs
1. Teens can learn many life lessons through volunteerism. Volunteering through community service is a way to learn about helping others. Volunteering to help someone in need is a worthwhile endeavor. It feels good to be a part of something positive that instills pride. This concept can be moved to action starting early in a child’s life.
Family Affair
2. Teens are likely to become engaged in volunteerism if they see parents actively involved in giving back to the community. Children that are encouraged to participate in volunteerism as part of a family affair often continue on their own as into adult hood. Teens are responsible for some really empowering service projects that help those that are homeless, fighting illness, and who are just lonely and in need of human companionship. Taking time to get involved teaches the important lesson of importance of having empathy towards others.
3. Giving Service from the Heart
Often teens think that the only reason to give is to get something in return. Teaching them that volunteering and lending a hand is balanced living will help them to become empathetic and responsible members of society.

4. Volunteerism is Addictive
Volunteerism a feel good deal. There are so many options that finding a way to be of service is not hard. Hospitals need volunteers to read to children and deliver reading material to all patients. Community centers and libraries need volunteers to tutor younger students. Older teens who excel in sports can return to the field where they pitched or punted and volunteer to help the team.
Volunteering Across Generations
Seniors can always use a hand. A teen offering to shovel snow or rake leaves for a neighbor, is generally, always welcome. Sometimes these summer winter relationships become something special where both parties learn valuable gifts. Your teen will likely gain additional self confidence from beginning to see the world through

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Volunteerism for School Credit

December 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Volunteerism for School Credit

1. Most school districts require that students complete, “x” amount of hours performing community service before graduating. This enriching project can take the form of helping seniors, reading to younger children, or volunteering at a hospital. Community Service is simply giving back to the community.

2. Volunteering Builds Leadership Skills

Teens that are active in their community develop a sense of leadership and involvement and learn firsthand the benefit of volunteering. If you can identify a role model who leads by example you will gain even more insight on giving back. A mentor or role model is a person we look up to that does the human and compassionate thing because it is the right thing to do.

3. Volunteering is part of the school experience

Rewarding in itself, community involvement helps you see the benefits of volunteerism and community involvement firsthand. You will see where you fit into the big picture and that you make a difference. That isn’t a clich. You bring your unique gifts to the table.

4. Volunteering Boosts Self-Esteem

Getting an uninvolved and disinterested young person involved in community programs will help boost self esteem and get you on track with something positive. Tapping into your interest is one of the best ways of getting involved in community.
5. Last Minute Credit Efforts
Teens should have a firm project idea by the middle of their junior year, and look to start over that summer. If your teen has procrastinated and June is around the corner a project has to happen right away. One way to quickly get credit is to talk with neighbors and agree to perform a task for a certain period of time that will help lighten their load. Taking out trash, shoveling snow and running store errands under contract are creative ways to fulfill community service Check with your counselor to clear projects.

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