To get the ball rolling on our blog we’re going to start by discussing why community service is important. When you’re asked why community service matters, how do you answer? Of course there are immediate benefits that jump out to individuals based on where they are in life and their different backgrounds. A student might answer that it looks good on college applications or resumes. A life-long community member might answer that strengthening a community and giving back to a community provides a mutual benefit.

Community service at its core is intended to fulfill a need in a community. This need could be broad such as a problem with hunger. In this case some solutions might be to open a food bank, start a food rescue organization, or simply raise funds to donate to a hunger relief agency. Other times the need could be specific such as a low literacy rate at a local elementary. In this case the solution may be to organize a reading program or tutoring program in order to help raise literacy rates and promote reading to young children.

Whether a broad issue or a specific issue, community service is needed and valued in every community at some level. The best ways to become involved in your community are to look up local organizations and non-profits in your area. These organizations can either place you directly in their volunteer programs or they can connect you to other organizations or groups that may benefit from added volunteers.

Next week we will begin to look into the specifics of why community service matters and is something that everyone should be involved in.

written by Gabrielle Miller