At your service

I definitely have a heart for volunteer work. I think it's rooted in the strong sense of volunteerism that my mother had. She was constantly at my elementary school doing everything from working in the library, to working on displays, to serving food in the cafeteria for special events... Her presence there wasn't just because me and my brother were there and she wanted to be part of our lives; it was because she was genuinely compassionate and concerned about the well-being of all the students there. Her kindness and always-giving to others spirit instilled in me values I will carry the rest of my life.

It was probably my Junior/Senior year of high school when the volunteer bug actually bit me. It started out with a required number of community service (specifically tutoring) hours I had to complete for Missouri's A-Plus scholarship program. It was a fifth-grade classroom in the school I attended. I never had an interest in tutoring or teaching of any kind. I thought I wanted to major in Marketing/Management and become a real estate agent. Anyway, the experience of volunteering 100 hours in a classroom was life-changing and I realized I had a passion for public service.

My sorority once I got to college offered many opportunities to serve others, and all the opportunities I had to serve were impacting to me as they were to others. We spent time at the local nursing home, animal shelter, elementary schools, etc. serving others in many ways. While it was required, it was an amazing experience to bond with my sisters and to affect others. I became the Philanthropy Chair and was able to lead others in many acts of volunteerism. I was also part of an organization called K.i.d.s. (Kind individuals dedicated to students), which was a college-student mentoring program which impacted the community where I lived. These memories and experiences were great blessings to me. I continue to try to do my part where I am and I know that community service and outreach programs will always be something I am involved with no matter where I am.

The pastor at Brian's church is doing a series called "Servolution" all about how we can (and are called to) serve others and impact them through our service. It's been so inspiring. If I can figure out how to post the audio on here, I will. God commands us to love and help others. Sunday, I learned that if every member that attends Destiny Church did ONE hour of outreach/community service per week, the church would have over 33 DAYS of service per week! Isn't that incredible? It seems to me that 1 hour is potatoes... and when serving is so beneficial for everyone involved, I don't see why we don't all try to volunteer at LEAST that much.

There's a cool website: WWW.Volunteermatch.org which can help get you connected to opportunities in your area.