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Have You Ever...- 6-6-07

Volunteered Your Time to Help Others?

By ChaChanna Simpson

It is summertime and some of you are on summer break. And I’m gonna go ahead and say you have time to donate to help others. I’m going to let you in on one of my philosophies on life. I believe that we are all on this planet for a purpose: to help others. I refuse to believe we are on this planet to just wander around and only care about ourselves. Yes, we are born alone but we don’t exist alone.

So let me ask you: What are you contributing to your community? Anything? I really hope you are doing something. I’m referring to volunteering your time, money and efforts. Volunteering is a very rewarding experience, no really it is. And I must add that it bothers me when people don’t get involved in anything that is going on in their community and then are the first to have a complaint. Chaquon Jones, 20, junior at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY says, “ When it comes to volunteering, I think it should be a part of everyone's life. I feel that through volunteering people can give back to the community and be a helping hand to those who may be less fortunate.”

“If you are not part of the solution you are part of the problem.”

A guy I was dating asked me: “If you saw someone getting shot or robbed would you tell the authorities?” My response was “Hell yeah!” His response: “You’re stupid. If you open your mouth and say something you’d get yourself killed. People need to mind their own business.” Needless to say we are not dating anymore, not just because of that comment but for various other reasons, but I digress. The thought that he would not say anything if he saw something horrible happen really bothers me still. I’m sure if something happened to a family member of his he would want someone to help them but people don’t think that way. The majority of people, unless it directly concerns them, are not going to go out of their way or even in their way to help. But let something happen to them. That’s when they want someone to care about them.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

I write all this to stress that we all have a duty to look out for each other. One way to do that is to volunteer. There are tons of nonprofit organizations that need money, supplies and your time and would wholeheartedly appreciate your talents. Melissa Scibelli, Program Manager, Connecticut Mentoring Program, says the organization values volunteers because of the “commitment and support that they bring to the child. They’re also providing a consistent and enlightening influence to a child by exposing him or her to other things such as careers that can bring that child to his or her fullest potential.” It is such a wonderful feeling to know that you are helping someone, at least is it for me. Most of these organizations rely heavily on volunteers to continue providing their much needed services. For those of you who are thinking, “I would love to volunteer but I just don’t know where.” My U.S.A people can visit www.volunteermatch.com and my British peeps can visit http://www.volunteering.org.uk/. You are sure to find an organization that will help you shine in your area of expertise. There are some organizations that just need someone to visit seniors or bring them their groceries, feed the needy, write press releases, help in the office, create a website, be a mentor to a young child and more.

And so you don’t think I’m telling you to do something that I don’t, let me tell you that I work with foster kids through my sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, http:///www.zphib1920.org; volunteer at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, http://www.rfbd.org, in New Haven, CT; am an e-mentor at icouldbe.org; and I just recently started to organize a monthly meal preparation program at St. Luke’s LifeWorks, in Stamford, CT http://www.stlukeslifeworks.org/.

Now I want to see you get out there and help make a difference!

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