Mills 1

Brianna Mills

Professor Whitener

English 102

20 February 2023

Community Service

Community service is working to help others without the intention of receiving

an award or money for your time. Many people enjoy providing their time for this

service, which is meaningful to the situation that is in need at that moment. I also

enjoy community service, it means a great deal to me to be able to just lend a helping

hand when it is needed throughout the community. Having an open mind to help

others is a good mindset to be in, when you do something good it does not always have

to be recognized for you to feel and know you did the right thing. Community service

is an experience everyone at some point in their life should experience. I feel as

though community service is an experience others should attend because whenever

you're able to help someone else, that very person may be able to help you in your own

time of need.

Community service has many positive impacts connected to it. When you begin

community service as a teen, there are many benefits that come along with it. Some

major benefits would be acceptance to college, getting a job, and even learning new

skills that can benefit you in your future. Being accepted into college is one of the

main benefits because colleges love to see that you are involved in the community. As
stated from a resource “Volunteer experiences can also give students an advantage on

college admissions and scholarships. Admission into colleges and universities has

become more competitive over the years.” Having a passion for helping out in your

community can express that you will be interested in being involved in your future

college community. When you are applying for a job, mentioning your involvement

with your community can positively help your application. Employers are interested in

workers who are passionate and determined about being involved in the community

and are experienced in the field of working with others. Having a job in your

community shows your desire to be involved the best possible way you can. As stated

from an article during my research “One study conducted by the Corporation for

National and Community Service found that having volunteer experience on a resume

boosts chances of finding a job by 27%.”While doing community service there are

many skills you will pick up on that you may not even notice. Skills such as customer

service, adaptability,time-management, teamwork, and many more, will allow for

you to be able to apply the new skills you learn in your day to day life.

When I first was introduced to the idea of doing community service, as a 9th

grader in high school, I was not interested. At that time of age I only enjoyed doing my

extra curricular activities and hanging with my friends. I did not expect to gain

knowledge and skills from doing this. Once I did my first community service event at

the salvation army, I became intrigued to do more throughout my community. I then

got involved with a community service club at my high school called the “Pike Road

Pearls Club”, we did many community service events throughout our town and cities

around us. The amount of people I was able to meet and connect with allowed me as a
person to become more open and showcase better communication skills. I enjoyed

being in this club because I created a good connection with my fellow club members as

well as serving the community. I was able to express my passion for being involved,

showcase my skills to help others, and meet new and diverse people in the

community. After joining one organization that allowed me to serve my community, I

decided to join another during the summer, where I volunteered at a local hospital. I

was able to become cpr certified, help patients when I was needed, and see the lifestyle

of the future career I desired.

Some people may not be interested in being involved with community service

when the topic is first introduced to them. Learning the bigger picture and actually

being able to experience it really helped me personally. Which may be the same way to

involve others with it. Experiencing it for the first time is indescribable in words to

me, the feeling of joy you feel as you help others in need, feels so rewarding. You may

not always be acknowledged for the hard work you have done but acknowledging it to

yourself is the only thing that matters. As stated from my source “Researchers have

discovered humans are hard-wired to give to others. This means the more students

give, the happier they feel. Students can increase their self-confidence through the

feeling of achievement they get from donating their time.” You begin to mature and

learn to have an open mind as you take on new tasks and meet the diversity

throughout the community.

To begin, the involvement of community service would be to reach out to some

homeless shelters, local hospitals, animal shelters, and even local businesses and
volunteer your help if it is needed. Also, it is important to mention the amount of

service you are willing to provide, it becomes a part of the evaluation of where you are

interested in providing service. As stated from my source “Research has also shown

that 2-3 hours of community service per week (roughly 100 hours each year) can

deliver the most benefits for both volunteer and organization.” Most of the time there

will be at least one organization that would love the extra help. It is also meaningful to

these businesses that you reach out to because they may not come across others who

are willing to provide assistance. By showing the community that you are interested in

being involved can allow for other opportunities to positively impact you. Always

think about your goals for community service, your passion for it may begin to grow

the more involved you become.

In conclusion, the experience of serving your community is a great way to not

only benefit your community but yourself as well. There are many benefits and

opportunities that come with being involved in community service. A good way to

express that is starting a great journey you have never experienced before. Community

service has helped me become the person I am today in many ways. I hope that others

can get the experience I did.

 Sources

Heldt, Aaron. “The Importance of Community Service in a Teen's Life.” The

Bridge, 17 Feb. 2021,
https://thebridgeteencenter.org/news/the-importance-of-community-service-
in-a-teens-life.