Students benefit from volunteering

Greeted by a friendly face, the WWII veteran smiles lifting his morale. A child gazes at his street, recently cleaned by volunteers. A family moves into their new house, built by volunteers after a hurricane swept through their neighborhood. While impacting the lives of others, volunteers grow their own skills and develop lasting connections.

Some see volunteering as a trivial activity and unworthy of their time. They see little to no benefit in serving others without financial compensation.

Volunteers positively impact their communities, all the while learning new skills and developing their reputation with future employers. Around 24.9 percent of Americans volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2014 and September 2015.

Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization dedicated to neighborhood revitalization and disaster response presents opportunities to grow. Skills learned through serving with Habitat for Humanity may open future career paths.

An article published by Next Avenue discusses the benefits of volunteering.

During Fresno Christian Homecoming for Humanity, classes compete to raise the most money for a selected organization. During the 2018 Homecoming night, classes took donations for Kids on a Mission, a student led non-profit. Raising financial aid for non-profits creates opportunities for students to reach others through organizations.

High school students need to donate their time and effort to a cause they support. This connects teens with purpose-driven mission that impacts other people.

With today’s increasingly competitive college admissions, emphasis is placed on taking AP courses and SAT prep. A recent study by a service recording platform, x2VOL, found that 58% of college admissions officers value volunteer experience when considering an application.

A part of their requirements, CSF members meet eight hours of volunteer work. This serves as a foundation for future hours. However, many students only look to fulfill their requirements to the program. They fail to recognize personal benefits of service to their community often is richer through longer time commitments.

Begin the search for a local non-profit, contact the organization and get action.

For more editorials, read Editorial: The night before NOTS and Editorial: Celebrating students, staff of Fresno Christian.