Volunteering is a crucial tool for growing your character, as well as your community. When you hear the word “volunteer,” experiences of parents’ pinched, nagging expressions may come to mind, or a black and white sheet of volunteer hours you’re struggling to finish. In some people’s eyes, it is seen as a chore, not a tool and opportunity. Many don’t realize the impact that volunteering has on the people you help and the places you reinvent.
The simple act of helping people inspires happiness. From helping at local events around Tualatin, one has the opportunity to witness and be the reason for smiling faces, joyous laughs and genuine human connection. The change you inspire in others’ lives is a big reason why people volunteer. Volunteering can cause this joy, and nothing feels better than making someone happy. Sometimes one needs a break from the pressures and trials of daily life. Volunteering offers a change from focusing on yourself to focusing on others. From the cool glow of your phone to the monotonous hours in class, sports or schoolwork, taking even just a moment to separate yourself from your life changes your perspective.
Apart from growing your character, knowledge of your city and community goes hand in hand with volunteering.
“Cities have identities,” youth adviser for the city of Tualatin and junior at TuHS Cosi Slider stated. “Volunteering opened my eyes to the city.”
Knowing your city is essential to building a strong community because it allows you to identify areas for improvement and connect with local needs.
Moreover, volunteering helps one learn to collaborate and communicate with others. A common cause inspires collaboration and communication to work together towards the same goal. Evolution favored groups that collaborated, meaning cooperation and building your community is hardwired into our species.
Additionally, leaders are created. Volunteering provides practice in essential skills such as strategic thinking, problem-solving and directing others. Leaders can be built in any situation, but leaders built through volunteering promote civic duty and can lead to a compassionate, connected citizen who understands the meaning of service. Aside from fostering beneficial qualities and changing people’s lives, volunteering opens up a network of opportunities; the unique skills that you gain through volunteering can lead to important positions that will determine the rest of your life. You have the chance to learn about many things – how cities function, their identities – which can lead to careers you’ve never considered before.
Volunteering is a necessary tool to change people’s lives, build character and connect you with opportunities.
Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Wolf staff and, therefore, remain unsigned. Any questions or comments can be submitted to Lisa Lacy’s mailbox in the main office or to [email protected].
