I’ve always been one to look towards my future and wonder, what’s next? What am I doing with myself? And in all of my years, I haven’t found anything that makes me feel quite as content as volunteering does. In my opinion, there’s nothing more valuable in life than helping others to be happy; materials can be destroyed, money can be overspent, and wealth is hard to keep up with. However, a smile can be created anytime, anywhere, and can create a lasting impression on the people you’ve impacted.
This semester (so far), I’ve volunteered at the C.C.S.P.C.A, a beach sweep in Ocean City, the food bank of South Jersey, a Harry Potter festival, and a preschool. My favorite project was visiting the preschool.
I awoke to a call at 8:30 in the morning from the Grad Student Coordinator of the Office of Volunteerism. “You made the trip,” she said. “Can you be here in fifteen minutes?” I threw on a sweatshirt and put my hair in a bun, hugged my roommate goodbye, and ran to the Student Center.
We drove five minutes to a local preschool and were divided up into groups. I was in the three year old room. I love kids, so this task came easily. When my group walked in, the little kids squealed with delight, excited to meet their “Helpers” for the next few hours. They laughed and giggled and chattered uncontrollably, all trying to say hello at once.
We had circle time and sang songs. It was the cutest, sweetest singing that I’ve ever heard (maybe even better than those little kid Christmas carols on B101) and the kids enjoyed it a lot. We all had playtime for a few hours, and the kids made me laugh. They were so smiley, and those smiles meant a lot to me.
When our group was leaving one of the little girls hugged me and tugged on my shirt, “Come back tomorrow, okay?” I wanted to stay longer, but I was happy knowing that this little girl had enjoyed my company so much that she was looking forward to seeing me again. SUCH a cutie.
Volunteering has made me a happier person, and has expanded my perspective on life. If you volunteer, you will find yourself being more grateful, more content, and with a more positive outlook on living.
Throw kindness like it’s confetti; this world needs happiness. Get out there and make yourself and others happy through volunteering!