While growing up in the disadvantaged rural community of Bertie County, North Carolina, I have come to realize and learn that in order to want a prosperous life, you have to be passionate, devoted, and committed to your ideas. Volunteering my services in the community I live in is one of the ways. In my community, there are numerous citizens that want the best for the community but are unable to volunteer because of time constraints, physical disabilities, and many of them are senior citizens. As a young active teenager, I feel it is my duty to make a positive impact on my community by serving with a giving and compassionate heart. Growing up in a Christian-based household, I was always taught, “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you”. As I reflect on that scripture, I try to live my life and volunteer accordingly. If I were not able to give back to my community, I would want someone to make a difference in place of my absence. Whenever you turn on the news, whether it is local or global, you never fail to see that the world is requiring more community service. The earthquake in Haiti is an example of people coming together from many communities to help this country. Although there are many people that fall short of realizing that if no one volunteer their services, the world will never move on to greatness. When I have the opportunity to volunteer for community service, I do not think twice about it. My answer right away is yes. While serving my community, I get a wonderful feeling. It is such a blessing to realize that I am able to make my community a better place to live, learn, play and gather. Nothing at all beats community service.

My community is the second largest county in North Carolina, and there are many volunteers that devote their time to the community. Our school system like many others have limited funds.Therefore, many of the students are not able to be exposed to many educational activities and programs, but we can volunteer to serve our community. Currently, a group of my friends and I are working on a project, located in our county’s town seat. The project we are taking on is to remodel the community park. The monies we received came from the “Learn and Serve Project”. This community service project requires a lot of time, patience, discipline, and dedication. Our principal expects us to represent him well, and to also set an example for all the citizens in our community. As a group of students, we have come to believe in “together we can” a motto that was instituted in our school system. If the community is in need, community service needs to be put into effect.

“Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you”, is a well-quoted scripture in many different societies. The scripture can be broadly or narrowly interpreted to be applied to your life. In my opinion, this scripture also plays a major role in community service. Community service is done out of the kindness of one’s heart, to lift a burden or improve a situation in someone else’s life. For example, if a group of young teenagers community service project is to make blankets for unfortunate children, they are doing the project out of the kindness of their heart, to help improve someone else’s life. Community service is very challenging, however, once you recognize the good that comes out of it, you realize it is worthwhile. I am a very big fan of the scripture, and I would want someone to be gracious and considerate towards whatever situation that holds me back from becoming the most successful person that I can be.

My life is very far from being perfect, so I try to get myself involved in many positive-impacted groups, clubs, and activities. When I volunteer, I am positively impacted by the deeds and activities of community service.. After my first couple of days of volunteering, how thrilling it was to know that I could help make a difference. It is amazing to see the work of volunteers. In my eyes, dedication and discipline is the foundation of a prosperous life, and that is what volunteering consists of. When I look back on my previous community service project, I cannot even begin to believe that I took a part in it. It’s not because of the physical appearance that makes it hard to believe, but it is the knowing of how the whole project came about and was completed. While serving your community, you begin to be seen as a good role model. Many people have questioned me about my work and service to my community, because it looks like a hard task for a young teenage girl. However, because of the great satisfaction I get from being seen as a role model, I do not let the questions nor the comments stop me from serving my community. Community service brings about a satisfaction of appreciation, self-confidence, and the knowledge of knowing you can influence other citizens in your community.

Have you ever had the feeling of knowing that, it is your duty to try to work with others to make something good happen? Well, that is the feeling I get concerning community service. I know community service is not an one person’s effort, but instead it is all accomplished by teamwork. As long as I am physically able, I will make volunteering mandatory in my life. Help is always needed somewhere. It ranges from the smallest thing possible to having to make big compromises to achieve it. The volunteer field in community service will always be open. The longer I serve in community service, the more I feel like it is a mission that is being put on my heart. I dislike seeing people struggling, or just making it by with bits and pieces of help. Community service can benefit all, even the workers of it.

So why is community service important in my life? It helps me to become a proud American, serving the community I live in and reaching out to the other communities when and where I can, to become a productive citizen. Without community service, how will the world ever move on to greatness? Every good thing was backed up or started by someone volunteering his or her service. I live in a rural disadvantaged community, I live by the scripture “Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you”, I get an amazing satisfaction from volunteering, and I feel like it is my duty to give a helping hand. While weighing out all of the advantages and disadvantages, I have made up my mind that community service is important in my life, and that I am devoted to serving it.