What does it mean to serve your community?
As a Baruch Scholar, we have a lot given to us, it only makes sense that we give back in some way. Any service we choose to preform should be able beautify something, such as your perspective, someone’s day, or maybe just physically beautify the world. In my opinion, serving your community does not have to be complex and tedious. Community service can be as simple as picking up some stray litter or have a more direct impact like saving a life. You’re probably doing a disservice to the community by jumping into something that makes you miserable, because you’re doing in half-heartedly.
During high school I worked along with a group of close friends in a project we started to beautify the school. Together we grew a garden, and we ended up growing closer to each other and expanding our community as well. By proving we could bring life and beauty to maybe on of the dullest places in the universe, we were able to inspire ourselves and maybe other people as well. It gave us a sense of accomplishment, evoked satisfaction, and urged us to keep moving forward.Serving a community should be able to create these feelings.
I hate running, and I’d never run out of my own free will, but while volunteering at a children’s psychiatric center, I ran. I ran around the courtyard with all the young children playing tag. It’s not something would do ordinarily, but watching the children smile and hearing them laugh encouraged me do it anyways. That’s what I believe it should mean to serve your community, to beautify it. To help someone or yourself see or find the beauty in something. Serving your community should be a win-win opportunity for everyone.
on October 22nd, 2012 at 6:49 pm
I really like the way you use “beautify” to describe what it means to serve your community. It is an inspiring way to look at serving the community and I agree that if people put their whole heart into helping others, they will benefit themselves along with the community. I think what you did at your high school and at the children’s psychiatric center were truly beautiful things and our world could use more people like you.
on October 23rd, 2012 at 11:32 am
Crystal, I’m happy to see that you’ve found your own reason to give back to the community. Seeing the people who benefit from your efforts really makes all the difference because you realize that a little compromise on your part brings so much happiness to someone else. Great post!
on October 24th, 2012 at 6:37 am
Hey Crystal! I liked your anecdote about your experience with your fried. You sort of “killed two birds with one stone” as cliche as that may sound by helping the community you got something back in return, friendship. I agree with you 100%, volunteering shouldn’t be tedious to the performer it should be from your own will and about something you truly care about!