Give Back to Your Community -- Volunteer!
By: Cyrus, Editor in Chief National Edition

November 17, 1999

These days, everyone is pushing students to donate their time to charities. It's GREAT! The best part of volunteering is, of course, the good feeling you get from helping others. But there are other reasons to volunteer: colleges love it, future employers love it, and some high schools require it before you can graduate!

So many opportunities exist for students to help others. Chances are, you will easily locate a place to volunteer that suits you. Hospitals, non-profit organizations, child-care centers, and your city or town are great places to look.

Once you choose the type of volunteering you'd like to do, you should explore several options in that field. Some programs require a minimum number of hours per week or per month. You should find out whether they have had plenty of volunteers in the past, and see if you can get in touch with someone who has volunteered there to see what his or her experience was like. If there is a Director of Volunteers, see if you can meet with him or her to hear the details of what you would be doing.

Remember when you are volunteering that you should be treated well. You are giving your time and energy to the organization and the people there should appreciate that. If you are ever treated badly, you should speak to your supervisor about it. If it happens again, most likely you should resign and find somewhere new.

Volunteering should be fun. If you find the right place and the right people with whom to work, it can be a truly wonderful experience. Some people volunteer all their lives, not just because they think they should, but because they love it.