A Reflection on My Volunteer Experience
Volunteerism: Miracles in Action
For many years, I have been able to volunteer and serve my community in numerous ways. I have volunteered through my local Boy Scout troop, my church youth group, and National Honor Society. Through these experiences, I have found that I am able to help and serve those less fortunate in my community. Volunteering has allowed me to be a positive influence to those I have served. It has really opened my eyes to issues often overlooked by society, such as poverty and hunger. Through service, I feel as though I serve a greater purpose to others than I do to myself. This is why I want to share my story with you in the "My Volunteer Experience Essay" paper.
As a five-year member of the Boy Scouts of America, I have been blessed enough to volunteer and serve the community in many ways. For example, every year my troop adopts local families in need for the holidays. We volunteer our time to shop, purchase, and deliver gifts for these families. They would not have much of a Christmas without organizations like ours. In return, it gives me a tremendous sense of satisfaction knowing that I was able to make a difference by being a miracle worker for these families who don’t have much. It has opened my eyes to families who are experiencing substantial hardships.
I have also been able to volunteer through my church youth group and my school. Once a month, our church hosts the Harvesters Mobile Food Pantry and we distribute groceries to many underprivileged families. Also, my youth group organizes a week called “Mission KC” every year. During this week, we work at multiple projects around the community and through the school district. These projects have involved painting a middle school, stocking a local thrift shop, and working at the City Union Mission. The time spent through Mission KC is completely voluntary, and provides much needed assistance for local organizations. It’s an intense and exhausting week of hands-on volunteer work, but very meaningful and rewarding. One of my favorite ways to volunteer is through National Honor Society, when we sing Christmas carols to residents of the Willow Heights Rest Home. It’s really special to see the elderly residents smile while we sing to them. Some of them don’t receive many visitors, so going to the rest home every year is very important to me.
These are just a few experiences of my volunteerism. Luckily, I have served multiple organizations through school, church, and my Boy Scout troop. I have been able to assist families, as well as small businesses in my local community. I have seen the footprint of my volunteer work on those who have received my help, and the impact I feel knowing I have helped someone else in need. Volunteerism parallels altruism, benevolence, and compassion, and it leads to personal and spiritual growth. A single hour of selfless labor can enrich multiple lives. Through service, I feel as though I serve a greater purpose to others than I do to myself.
