I believe that serving the community does not only include helping those who are less fortunate than us. Our community does not only consist of those who are in need. By helping EVERYONE who is a part of the community, we are able to show that WE ARE a part of this community. Many people focus on helping the homeless, the hungry or the disabled, but what about the rest of the community? I agree that these people are most definitely one of the priorities, but that does not mean that the rest of the community should be left out. What about the children who want to learn a new language simply because they want to but are not given the opportunity? Or the group of boys who want to play soccer but are unable to find a coach? These children are not in the same need as the homeless but by volunteering, we can help them achieve their goals and follow their dreams. Volunteering unifies the community and shows everyone that nobody is left out.

During my years in high school, I volunteered in many places including the Sunnyside Community Center where I served Thanksgiving dinner to the elderly, Socrates Sculpture Park and Flushing Meadows Park where I planted trees and rid the parks of any pollution, and the Diverbo linguistic immersion program in Jerez, Spain where I helped Spanish teenagers learn English and feel more comfortable about holding conversations in a foreign language to them. All volunteering experiences allowed me to help different people. My volunteering for these organizations was not necessary but through it, I was able to make a change in the various communities. Of course this change was not extreme, but it was a start. If everyone took time out of their daily lives to help out, then change would appear more drastic.

The ways in which people can volunteer are infinite. Depending on a person’s education, abilities, and interests, a person can do many things to give back to the community ranging from offering after school tutoring or donating money to buy food for the homeless. By doing something that both interests you and is able to improve the community, you will realize that volunteering is not a difficult and unpleasant task. Since I enjoy traveling and learning about various cultures, volunteering in Spain was not an unwanted chore. Teaching teenagers coming from many different towns and cities in Spain, I was able to not only influence their lives, but also influence my own. The two-week long volunteer opportunity allowed me to acquire new friendships and made me realize that despite the cultural diversity, we grew very close to each other and were able to communicate well. Never have I thought that my volunteering would create such strong ties that would last a long time. On the last day of camp, the Spaniards were in tears. It was then that I understood that being able to spend two weeks with them and speaking to them in a foreign language was an important part of their life. Although I was volunteering abroad, I was still helping my community, my global community.

As a Baruch Scholar, I would like to continue being able to provide support to people in not only my local community, but also my global community. During my years in college, I plan on helping multiple organizations that focus on helping various groups in the community. Through getting involved, I will be able to become more aware of the problems people have to live with that do not directly influence my life and that I do not understand. Volunteering will fully introduce me to my community because it seems that we have only just met.