Volunteering Essay Example For Students

Volunteering Essay As Henry the 8th said to one of his wives, I wont keep you long. Good evening, members and guests of the Lions Club. The average American high school student is in school 7 hours a day, from 8AM to 3PM and is asleep 9 hours a day, from 10PM to 7AM. Over the years, I have noticed that San Mateo County high school students are not your average American high school students. Most of us are at school from sunrise to sunset, club meeting here, track meet there, mom! Ill be home for dinner by six! Thats 10 hours a day at school! Thank God Im graduating soon. We will write a custom essay on Volunteering specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now And 9 hours of sleep a day? Who sleeps 9 hours a day? I know I dont, Ill be lucky to get 6. And now theyre asking us to do community service? On weekends? Over the years, interest in community service has slowly declined. People are hesitant to give their time and are more likely to point fingers and say, community service? Thats their job. Whose job? Some will say that community service is the governments responsibility. They have the funds and the manpower. However, we see that the government is slowly abandoning the countrys needy by such actions as welfare reform. In 1996, the states were allowed to cut welfare benefits to those who need them most. Professor Coffin at Harvard University, believes that governments are not good at creating a fabric of care in communities anyway, and that THAT should be where the churches come in. And by some estimates, churches spend a total of $12 billion dollars a year on services for the needy. That number however, does not include the volunteers and their countless hours of service. Yet, community service is still declining. Why? Some say its because the kids arent helping out. Kids these days dont care about their community. Schools have to make community service a requirement to be able to graduate. Todays youth should be responsible for community service. They have the energy and the enthusiasm, they have the time, and if anything, theyll serve the community that theyll grow up in, and maybe even their children will grow up in. Or maybe community service should be the responsibility of the citizens who cannot abide by the law of the land. The citizen who jeopardizes the safety of the community should be obligated to give back to the community what he or she has taken from it. The average number of community service hours ordered for an offense between 1997 and 1998 was 100 hours. Negligent driving was punished by 150 hours of community service, arson 175, and robbery 200 hours. So if you think about it, if a person was driving drunk, decided to rob a store, then got scared and set the store on fire, they would be serving the community 525 hours. Can you imagine? What a citizen! 525 hours of community service! Now thats admirable, community service must be their responsibility. President Clinton said in him memorandum to the executive departments and agencies that, community service is a great American tradition and a profound expression of the civic values that bind us together as a Nation. So whose responsibility is community service really? Its mine, its yours, its even the lovely lady in the blues responsibility. Those who prosper, use, or simply even live and are safe in our community are obligated to a certain degree to give back to the community. The people who work in San Mateo Countys businesses can give a small donation to their local Park and Recreation Department, for better uniforms and more equipment. High school students who have reaped the benefits of San Mateo Countys excellent public education can help a nearby elementary schoolteacher correct papers. Children who have a safe place to play can pick up a candy wrapper on the ground here and there. Even the elderly, who finally get to enjoy the beauty and environment of our community, can simply smile at someone who looked like they had a bad day. Sadly, most people these days dont have enough time to volunteer. .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c , .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .postImageUrl , .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c , .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c:hover , .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c:visited , .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c:active { border:0!important; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c:active , .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u1cfb8a142cff420815451bec8004230c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Disney Company - one of the world leaders in media Essay They complain about everyone being so competitive and never reaching out a helping hand. Then they get . Volunteering Essay Example For Students Volunteering Essay I ambitiously decided that I would brighten the lives of the elderly by Volunteering Essay at a rest home, but discovered that the elderly were being neglected, shoved aside and forgotten. As I stepped into the home a pungent odor penetrated my nostrils, causing an instantaneous gagging reflex. The place was abounded with neglected and subdued inhabitants, yearning for attention. Anybody that passed them caused a sudden outburst of ranting. The negligence and disregard the home displayed appalled me, but helped me to realize that I wanted to make a difference and change the condition people live in. As I walked down the corridor I noticed a man lying in a hospital bed with only a television, two dressers, and a single window looking out at nothing cluttering his room. Depression overwhelmed me as I stared at the man laying on his bed, wearing a hospital gown stained by failed attempts to feed himself and watching a television that was not on. The fragments of an existence of a life once active and full of conviction and youth, now laid immovable in a state of unconsciousness. He was unaffected by my presence and remained in his stupor, despondently watching the blank screen. The solitude I felt by merely observing the occupants of the home forced me to recognize the mentality of our culture, out with the old and in with the new. I then sat with a woman who was gazing out of the window. We will write a custom essay on Volunteering specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The woman appeared to be in her early eighties, but youth could still be seen in her angelic blue eyes which illuminated her entire presence. Her face glowed with content and tranquility, and she carried a slight smile that finished her face so completely. Enchanted by her serene radiance, I did not disturb her. Suddenly she began to speak in a whispered hum that was more like a song, unique in a dwelling full of ranting outbursts. She spoke of years long past, swimming in the pond with her sister and dancing in the moonlight. I could picture all in my head, like I was watching a movie. Then she began repeating the story she had just told me, and I realized that she was merely talking to herself. Although this discovery disenchanted me at first, I soon realized that, although the woman was talking to herself, she still had so many fantastic stories stored in her mind. The residents of the home all had some life flittering in them and numerous stories to share; they just need someone to listen to them. After my experience at the home I knew that one of my goals in life would always be o help make sure that people were receiving proper treatment, and not merely stuffed away and drugged up. Being in the home was like a separate world, one between life and death. When I reached the outside world again everything seemed so fresh. There were bright yellow-green leaves that hung with an arrogant vivacity, cars that sped by with such fervor, wind blowing with verve and energy, lively children playing with a vivacious lust for life, and the vitality that exudes from the air into your lungs. I wanted to bring this energy into the home, or at least bring the residents outside to relive the liveliness that the world can provide. The inhabitants of the home appeared to be completely withdrawn from life and they had no aspirations for tomorrow. I came to the understanding that by that age people were done, their lives were lived, and they only waited. However, it does not have to be that way. I learned from this experience how the elderly are treated in this country, how the advancements of technology making it possible for people to live longer is being wasted to keep people alive but not living. .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 , .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .postImageUrl , .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 , .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56:hover , .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56:visited , .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56:active { border:0!important; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56:active , .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56 .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u94e95f68fa8491aff6c43f5efda77e56:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Life-Span Developmental Approach to Counseling Essay .